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

I will mention two things that might be useful in this space. For a couple of years, we have funded an all-Ireland standards body on community development work. That body is grappling with the issue I mentioned, namely, different understandings of community work. Community development is a very particular kind of work and that body is trying to get a little consistency across the board in that regard.

I will mention another important document. Last year, the Cabinet - and the Government in its entirety - approved a values and principles document on how the Government has agreed to engage with the community and voluntary sector as a whole. Every Department has signed up to that. I bring it up at every opportunity because it is quite a significant document. It did not get loads of publicity but every Department has signed up to it. It has six key principles: respect, subsidiarity, harmonisation, value for money, implementation and collaboration. If the spirt of that values and principles document was brought out a little more, it might help to address the issue the Deputy raised.

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