Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

There are too many sources of funding for community groups, that is one reason why the Department was established. Some groups spend 95% of their time chasing funds from different agencies, programmes and headings but it all comes back to State funding. We would like to be the only funding agency for many of these community groups — it would make sense but trying to pull that together is a difficult job. It would allow people to spend their time on what they should really be doing rather than chasing funds and making submissions here, there and everywhere.

We can help by promoting volunteering. The best way to do that, as suggested in the committee's report, is to bring this into schools and focus on it, particularly in transition year and on to third level. If young people become involved and are interested in and committed to volunteering at an early stage, that commitment will continue into later life. That is a recommendation in this and previous reports and I would like it implemented. I hope I will be able to do that when we have finalised our ideas.

The Deputy has spoken to me about insurance and although that comes under the auspices of another Department, I understand where she is coming from. From my involvement in sport and community organisations, I understand this and will examine it to see if we can help groups on that point.

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