Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

Does the Minister of State agree it is time to direct more energy into volunteering? In conjunction with the Minister for Education and Science, he could ask schools to become involved in volunteering. They could then direct teenagers to go and visit old people who have no one to visit them at home or in hospital. We are too relaxed about this. It is no wonder that volunteering is dwindling when this Government is not focused on a constructive, determined effort to look after the less well off in the community.

Does the Minister of State agree that the money from the Criminal Assets Bureau should not go back into the central Exchequer but should be used in programmes in communities which are deprived and suffer from drug abuse and criminality? The money should be invested into those areas in addition to the existing budget. We know from year to year how much the Criminal Assets Bureau holds because it is held for seven years before——

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