Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

The Minister of State might clarify that because they should. All funds should fall under the remit of his Department for dispersal to voluntary groups. The problem for organisations is that there are so many sources of funding. I know the Minister of State intends to streamline that, which would be very helpful because some people do not know where to go for funding. If it was all under the umbrella of one Department they could contact it directly and be directed to the correct section.

Another recommendation in the report is:

Ad hoc and multi-agency funding make it difficult for organisations to plan ahead. All funding for voluntary organisations and volunteering should in future be channelled exclusively through the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. This would improve efficiency and transparency. Funding commitments should be entered into over a number of years. In this way the monitoring of State expenditure would also be facilitated.

That is a very strong recommendation I hope the Government will take on board.

In the new regime there should be more flexibility in the guidelines and conditions for communities in a position to apply for the funding. Voluntary community groups are frustrated at not being able to apply for the funding because the guidelines are too restrictive. They provide services to their communities similar to those provided by groups in CLÁR or RAPID areas but without funding. Those in wealthy communities can get more support but groups outside those communities do not qualify for funding or find it difficult to apply for it, unless they have an educational programme for disadvantaged groups. I hope that situation will improve.

I hope this legislation will provide an opportunity for more groups to apply for the fund and it does not become a political slush fund for the election in two years' time. I hope too that it will not be abused and that Ministers and Government Deputies around the country will not use it as a way to get votes by promising grants from this fund to communities. I can imagine Deputies doing that with regard to a school or a road as a Government Deputy has a direct line to the Minister who will make the decision on it, but that is a different matter. The national lottery funds come from the people who play the national lottery. This fund comes from people who did not draw down the money and left it in banks for various reasons, and from unclaimed life assurance policies. It is important that these funds are not abused. The Minister of State is fair-minded and I appeal to him to ensure the fund will not be abused and that everybody will benefit from the change he is introducing.

See this speech in context