David Norris (Independent)

I am happy to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, to the House. I am glad that he is the person with direct responsibility in this area. While I agree with him on the issue of volunteerism, I do not think the clock can be turned back – that day is gone. I hope the element of volunteerism will always be in the Irish character.

I have quiet a lot of experience in this area. I was involved at the beginning of the gay movement when we started the Hirschfeld Centre in Temple Bar. It was run on a voluntary basis for a while, but for most that only lasts a while. Volunteerism is more punishing for those from the most disadvantaged sectors of society. Volunteering is all right for someone from a comparatively privileged background. I can continue to do it for the rest of my life because I have the luxury, money, a nice home and a car. We found that we had to start introducing incentives. First, we gave free coffee and buns in the coffee bar, next it was free admission to the disco and then we paid for taxis. We ended up paying our staff. That is human nature. As a microcosm, it is the reason for communism fizzling out. Unfortunately, the human animal is a beast and the carrot, as well as the stick, must be offered. Volunteering is a decent element in our national character. While I hope it will survive, I do not think we can rely on it to solve problems, particularly in disadvantaged areas.