Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

Obviously, the Taoiseach is waiting for a statement from the Minister about it. In the same press report in The Irish Times on 11 February 2006, grave concern was expressed by Donal Buggy, the chief executive of the Community Games, about problems with volunteerism and about parents being under extreme pressure, to the point that they are not encouraging children's participation in the Community Games.

The Community Games is a huge undertaking because of the variety of sports, which encompasses practically every sport one can imagine a child being involved in. There is a need for further funding from the Sports Council for the Community Games. It takes 20,000 volunteers per year to run the games, probably more than is required by any other sporting organisation in the country. This is important because the Community Games can determine what attitude a child will have towards recreational sport in the future. Is the Taoiseach correct that further funding will be made available or will it still be determined by the Sports Council?

The committee on arts, sport and tourism has discussed the issue of volunteerism. What can be done by the Minister's Department, the Sports Council and other organisations to revive volunteerism in Ireland? Nowadays, volunteerism is a major problem in every organisation. What can we do to reverse that trend? We spoke earlier about reversing a decision relating to the film industry. Given the number of sports involved in the Community Games, can an increased amount of funding be provided? This investment is important in fostering children's views on recreational sport. The funding situation might also increase the number of volunteers attached to the games.

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