Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views in relation to the most recent available report from the ESRI on volunteering, which states volunteering in the country is up from 17.1% in 2002 to 23.1% in 2006 and active community involvement is up from 21.7% to 29% for the same period; his views on the findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32606/07]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans he has to increase the amount of support offered to volunteers to €5 million per annum; if he has begun to identify stakeholders within the community; the contact he has had with these stakeholders; the means he has identified as the most appropriate way to use this funding to further promote and develop volunteering here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32607/07]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 83 together.

It is certainly encouraging that the ESRI statistics show an increase in the figures volunteering and back up the findings of the taskforce on active citizenship, which reported earlier this year. My Department has been steadily increasing support and funding to strengthen volunteering over the past two years. Chief among those measures is the funding provided to 13 volunteer centres around the country with a further eight at an advanced stage of pre-development.

The Towards 2016 agreement includes a commitment of increased funding of €5 million per annum to support volunteering and the Department will use this substantial funding to further promote and develop volunteering in Ireland. The funding is primarily being used to fund the expansion of volunteer centres throughout the country, as recommended by the task force report. Expansion of volunteer centres to one per county will cost €5 million to implement.

The consultation with local stakeholders within the community is being conducted in a number of ways. The task force on active citizenship conducted a very detailed consultation with stakeholders throughout the country in compiling its report. My Department consults at national level with the social partners and in particular with the community and voluntary pillar through regular partnership meetings. The Department regularly meets bilaterally with national organisations and with volunteer centres to discuss progress and matters of interest. The expansion of the number of volunteer centres is being conducted in consultation with the local partnership companies.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I tabled this question because efforts on the ground did not seem to reflect what we were being told as regards the various organisations we come across in pursuit of our daily work. I should like to know from the Minister of State how the report was determined and how many people and committees were evaluated and where they were done. What was the urban-rural divide in this regard? On the ground, as I understand it from looking at committees, the percentages being talked about here do not appear to be reflected in reality. I hope they are, but it does not look as if there are many more volunteers on the ground now compared to 2002. In any organisation or association I am aware of, it seems to be a few core volunteers that carry the burden at all times.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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During the consultation process on the White Paper on supporting voluntary activity, I understand a wide range of road shows were held and regional consultations took place. There was consultation with the primary voluntary stakeholders. The same exercise was carried out during the consultation phase of the task force on active citizenship. I am aware it engaged extremely proactively with all organisations, big and small, throughout the length and breadth of the country. Targets were set that an extra 60,000 volunteers per year would be recruited as part of the process of enabling volunteer centres.

The Kildare volunteer centre has an extremely proactive engagement with NUI Maynooth and I launched an initiative there a couple of months ago. Students from 60 different nationalities with people from Kildare are on a database and are available to get involved in voluntary activity. This is the pattern throughout the country. At present, there are 13 county volunteer centres and three are at an advanced stage of development. I expect the remainder will be rolled out during the lifetime of the Government.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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People are busier but they want to support, help and get involved in their communities. The major problem is people are afraid that if they get involved through bringing children to sporting events they will be sued. Recently, the Law Reform Commission issued a report stating that the Government must introduce legislation to protect people doing work on a voluntary basis and that it is wrong for people to be sued for work they did on a voluntary basis.

Last year, Fine Gael proposed a Good Samaritan Bill which was voted down by the Government. What proposals does the Government have to introduce legislation to protect people who want to give voluntarily of their time to help and support their communities?

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I cannot comment exactly on what legislative proposals there may be, but Deputy Ring raised a valid point about the risk posed to people in getting involved in any form of activity, whether it is voluntary or otherwise. Earlier this week, my Department funded 64 national organisations across a wide range of disciplines. This was to enable them to provide a range of supports to volunteers over a three year period, including training of volunteers, upskilling facilitators and ensuring the areas of concern are addressed.

It is important to encourage volunteering and have the supports necessary to underpin this involvement. On the international day of volunteering it is appropriate that we call on more people to make their talents available to their local communities. In return for this they will have a sense of satisfaction in contributing to the community. The Department has a wide range of grant supports. Deputy Ring's county is good at drawing down these grants so County Mayo must have a strong base in volunteering.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It certainly does.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Recent surveys show that 150,000 people leave home before 6.30 a.m. to go to work and do not return until 7 p.m. In instances where people must travel some distance to work, they do not have an opportunity to get involved in their local communities. Subsequent to this, their children will not get involved with clubs. That is why I was concerned when I saw the data stating that community involvement rose from 21% to 29%. In many towns and villages in Kildare and other places of which I am aware, this rise does not seem to be reflected. What is the Minister of State's view on this? How will the Department address these concerns?

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of commuting poses challenges for a number of people. In many ways, this was dealt with by newer communities in expanding towns in Leinster. One of the ways my Department will engage with these towns is through the young people's facilities and services fund and by providing additional facilities for communities, ensuring more people work with clubs and organisations.

We should not underestimate the resource of people who take early retirement. Recently, I was in Waterford and saw a large number of people who took early retirement from a variety of occupations, including the Garda Síochána. They have begun to drive many voluntary initiatives and this will develop. We commend that practice. The databases of county volunteering committees, organisations such as Volunteering Ireland and Young Social Innovators will be the enablers in local communities.