David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment to this very important job and I am sure he will do well. The report states that active citizenship involves more than community volunteering. Last March the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, said he would have an implementation plan ready in a few months. When can we expect to see this plan and will it be made available to everybody? At the launch of the report in March 2007, the former Taoiseach said he looked forward to seeing some practical initiatives proceeding on foot of the report. What are these practical initiatives and what is the time scale for them? I understood that one of them would be to establish a national active citizenship week. What is the status of that and when might it happen? What is happening in respect of the national presidential citizenship awards to recognise achievement?

The Minister of State said there are pilot projects with regard to the use of schools after hours. Will he let us have a list of those schools? I appreciate he may not have such a list with him today. How long will this pilot project last and when does he expect it to go nationwide? Will the Minister of State let us know where the volunteer centres are located and how that initiative is proceeding?

Voter turn-out has been recognised as an issue. What is happening with regard to that? Does the Minister of State agree that cutting the youth work budget this year does nothing to serve active citizenship? It does the opposite for young people. In light of the severe cutbacks put in place in the already very meagre allocations to youth services, what plans does the Minister of State have to engage young people?

Concerning the use of schools at weekends and evenings, how will the Minister of State advance this initiative nationally? Schools are closed during those times but young people, particularly young teenagers, have nowhere to go to socialise. We hear much talk about youth cafés but there is very little happening on the ground. How will the Minister of State ensure that young people, teenagers aged from 12 to 16 years, have a place to go to socialise in their own towns and villages, given that they can become active citizens rather than hang around the streets to meet their friends, which is not desirable. This is a significant issue nationally.

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