Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

How does one deal with a cranky Taoiseach? When the task force was announced last year, the Taoiseach indicated it would report within six months. It is sometimes difficult to hear him very clearly over here and, even when we do, it is sometimes just as difficult to understand him. Will he tell us, if he has not done so already, whether the task force has reported? Will he indicate the full membership of the task force and let us know who we are talking about?

It was stated that the task force would report on how to encourage people to volunteer for various activities, from parish activities to the work of credit unions and sports and scouting organisations. Has the task force, over its period of deliberation, met representatives from each of these sectors and engaged with them in determining how the Government could encourage more participation in these areas? I ask this against the backdrop of the recent and very devastating news from Scouting Ireland that it has had to abandon its proposals to have a jamboree park at Castle Saunderson on the Cavan-Fermanagh border, which would have brought all the scouting associations throughout the island together regularly. How can the Government intervene to help in these areas? What encouragement is there for people to become active volunteers in their respective communities and areas of interest?

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