Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

Does the Minister of State agree that the mean action taken on medical cards has provoked a level of active citizenship which has surprised the Government and forced it to do a U-turn on its decision? Perhaps the Government will consider what other actions it may take to provoke certain other active citizenship revolts against it.

The Minister of State referred to a unit in the Department of the Taoiseach which deals with the issue of active citizenship. How many people are employed in the office and what is the status or standing of staff?

The Minister of State is floundering on this issue to the extent that one would be forgiven for believing the task force report had not been published. The report effectively provides a road map of what needs to be done. It is fine to provide Deputies with information on issues unrelated to the task force and in that respect I compliment the Ceann Comhairle on the initiatives he has taken. However, such initiatives have nothing to do with the task force report. The Government should implement the report, as it promised to do in 2007 when it had lots of money. Despite the Minister for Health and Children's statement that the Government had money coming out of its ears at the time, it has failed to act. Perhaps if action had been taken, the Ceann Comhairle and others would not have taken individual initiatives.

The task force report on active citizenship makes 19 recommendations, the first of which is to establish an independent electoral commission to encourage everyone who is eligible to register and vote in elections, support voter education programmes and provide data, research and analysis on political engagement and awareness. What action has the Government taken on this recommendation?

The second recommendation is that national presidential citizen awards be introduced to recognise outstanding contributions to civic and community life. My constituency colleague, Deputy Bernard Durkan, has called for the introduction of such awards for 20 years. I have not heard of any action being taken in this regard since the report was published and accepted by the Government. What is the position?

The report recommends the introduction of a formal citizenship ceremony to mark admission to Irish citizenship and engage and welcome newcomers. A similar ceremony could also apply to all Irish citizens when they reach the age of 18 years. It is envisaged that citizens would receive a scroll from the Government or letter from the President when they reach the age of majority. Has action been taken on foot of this recommendation?

The task force recommended the adoption and promotion each year of a national active citizenship theme to stimulate local initiatives and which would culminate in active citizenship week. What action has been taken to give effect to this recommendation?

Has action been taken to implement the recommendation that the group insurance scheme currently open to members of local community and voluntary forums be promoted widely among relevant organisations and groups? The purpose of this measure would be to counter prohibitive insurance costs for many community initiatives. As the Minister of State will be aware, excessive insurance costs have resulted in many community initiatives being dismantled.

What steps have been taken to introduce an initiative to help community and voluntary organisations meet compliance costs and ensure these costs are proportionate, as recommended in the report? Has action been taken to implement the recommendation to introduce a programme in the public service to promote community engagement and participation, for example, by providing time off for voluntary effort and through pre-retirement courses?

The task force report also recommended that local authorities prioritise the provision of community and recreational facilities as part of their planning processes. I am not aware of any specific initiatives taken in this regard in my constituency where a large number of planning decisions are made. Instead, councillors squeeze land for a football field from developers seeking to have land zoned. Offering a football field to the community is a new form of brown envelope and is being used by developers to blackmail local authority members to approve zoning for residential development. Has action been taken to enact in law the task force recommendation to ensure community and recreational facilities are prioritised in planning and made a requirement as opposed to being left to the whim of developers?

Has the recommendation that local authorities undertake an audit of community facilities through the county and city development boards been implemented?

The Minister of State indicated a pilot scheme has been introduced to give effect to the recommendation that better use be made of schools at evenings and weekends. The pilot scheme is a local initiative and has no connection to the task force report. Is it proposed to make civic facilities available for uses outside the relatively short periods in which they are currently used at substantial cost?

What action has been taken on the recommendation to expand education for citizenship in the school system and youth and adult education sectors? What is the position regarding the recommendation to introduce a certificate or award which would be earned through completing at least three months volunteering or community involvement activity in Ireland or overseas? The only recognition available in this regard is when large traders such as Tesco offer a community award to people who cut the ribbon on a new building. The task force recommendation is worthwhile and would be easy to implement.

Will the Minister of State confirm that no action has been taken to implement the recommendation that an initiative be introduced to promote, support and link together initiatives across the higher education sector? Similarly, no action has been taken to implement the recommendation to establish a national observatory which would act as a focal point for research on civic engagement.

The task force also set a number of what it describes as "ambitious but realisable" targets. Will these targets be included in the work the Minister of State envisages will be done by the steering group?

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