Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 83 together.

It is certainly encouraging that the ESRI statistics show an increase in the figures volunteering and back up the findings of the taskforce on active citizenship, which reported earlier this year. My Department has been steadily increasing support and funding to strengthen volunteering over the past two years. Chief among those measures is the funding provided to 13 volunteer centres around the country with a further eight at an advanced stage of pre-development.

The Towards 2016 agreement includes a commitment of increased funding of €5 million per annum to support volunteering and the Department will use this substantial funding to further promote and develop volunteering in Ireland. The funding is primarily being used to fund the expansion of volunteer centres throughout the country, as recommended by the task force report. Expansion of volunteer centres to one per county will cost €5 million to implement.

The consultation with local stakeholders within the community is being conducted in a number of ways. The task force on active citizenship conducted a very detailed consultation with stakeholders throughout the country in compiling its report. My Department consults at national level with the social partners and in particular with the community and voluntary pillar through regular partnership meetings. The Department regularly meets bilaterally with national organisations and with volunteer centres to discuss progress and matters of interest. The expansion of the number of volunteer centres is being conducted in consultation with the local partnership companies.

See this speech in context