Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chair for the flexibility because I very much welcome this question. My Department's statement of strategy contains a commitment to support the growth and development of philanthropy in Ireland and to develop a national policy on philanthropy. My Department works in partnership with Philanthropy Ireland, Charities Institute Ireland and Rethink Ireland to support their work to facilitate, encourage and grow philanthropic giving in Ireland. This includes the provision of grant funding. In 2021, my Department signed a new five-year contract with Rethink Ireland. The business model is for Government funding to match the philanthropic donations on a 50:50 co-funded basis. An allocation of €5.5 million match funding for this initiative is provided in the dormant accounts action plan for this year.

Work has commenced in my Department on the development of an enabling policy to foster a positive operating environment for philanthropy. This process is being informed by the findings and recommendations of the report, The Landscape of Philanthropic Giving in Ireland, that was commissioned by the Department in 2021. Following publication of the report, the Department organised a workshop, "Where will the Philanthropy of Today lead us tomorrow? Charting a course for the development of an Irish National Policy on Philanthropy", in association with the European Research Network on Philanthropy. Recommendations from the workshop will also frame the policy development process. A significant element of both these initiatives was the contribution made by experts in the many areas of philanthropy - donors, practitioners, advisers, advocates and Government officials. My intention is to have a draft policy for public consultation by the end of 2022.

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