Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

It is. To be clear, this is a different matter from the issue of the rapid response corps. The lesson learned from the tsunami was that the last thing one needs in a disaster is hordes of volunteers, inappropriately skilled, landing at the scene. They can be as much a hindrance as a help. I do not mean that in an intolerant way but inappropriate volunteers and inappropriate equipment and supplies are the last things one needs. The rapid response corps is about developing specialists and people who can be of use, when the needs assessment has been carried out. It is also about offering complementarity and co-ordination to the other donors. I am quite taken by the French proposal that better co-ordination at European Union level is required, with perhaps a Europe-wide inventory of what specific skills each country can bring to the table so we are not all copying each other and can more effectively and speedily bring the required disciplines to bear.

In terms of the broader issue of volunteerism, the Department and Irish Aid have refined and provided for a more sophisticated approach to volunteering through the establishment of the volunteer centre and particularly through the code of practice for volunteers. This puts strong emphasis on training and places obligations on existing and new NGOs to accord with the code of practice, to be registered properly and so forth. We need to keep a constant watch on this situation to ensure that people who volunteer are treated well and have maximum security and protection, that their experience is an enriching one and that they do not become disillusioned quickly. I have been to the volunteering centre, met many NGOs and have spoken at many events and this is something that exercises Irish Aid and the Department very much.

This country is fortunate to have many people who wish to volunteer. The most exciting aspect I have witnessed in recent times is the degree to which second level schools in Ireland have become more engaged with the Irish Aid programme, the Third World and the plight of people living in the Third World. Schools are now sending students on structured programmes to visit these countries on a relatively regular basis. A number of schools are involved in the WorldWise programme. It is important that schools become involved in that programme because it guides the teachers and provides materials for them. The importance of that programme for future society is that we will create a significant community of people in Ireland who are positively orientated towards intervening effectively and on a sustainable basis in the Third World. It is one of the better things I have seen in recent times.

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