Seanad debates

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Volunteering in Irish Society: Statements

 

1:00 pm

Photo of Labhrás Ó MurchúLabhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State. His contribution was the best I have heard in my 11 years in the Seanad. That is saying a lot. It was human, real and full of heart. I am talking about the part that came before the figures. I would go so far as to recommend to the Minister of State that he make that part of his contribution available to a wider public because it captures exactly what volunteerism is about. First, he goes back to its traditional and historical foundation, which is vital because volunteering is in our genes. It is inherent in us as a race to give voluntary service in different ways. This has been the case historically because of the difficult times our nation has come through. Even in the most difficult times, such as the Famine, when food was scarce and people were dying, we still looked out for each other and tried to share as far as possible. With each difficulty we met in history, we did likewise. We now see this replicated in each local community.

There are 40 organisations in my home town. One can go down through the list and see sporting bodies, religious groups, charitable bodies, Meals on Wheels and so on. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, speaking last week on volunteerism, said that if the State had to pay for what is being done by volunteers, the cost would be astronomical and probably impossible to meet. We all know this is true. However, the volunteers do not want payment. The Taoiseach is right to focus on the importance of volunteerism. Ten years ago we were not actually using the terms "volunteer" and "volunteering". No title was given to these people. In fact, even to mention it was to distract from the ethos and the significance of volunteering. To some extent today we feel a little uncomfortable talking about it because it is part of the hidden Ireland. It happens in a community. One does not say what one has done or point it out. However, one does look out to see in what way one can help.

People did not confine themselves to the island of Ireland; they looked abroad as well. Whenever help was needed we rallied, putting funds together and sending them abroad. I believe that per capita, we possibly lead all the other countries in this regard. Nothing will change even in the present economic climate. It is part of us. We will still look out for each other.

There are broader issues involved as well. One might ask what volunteering has to do with North-South relations, for example, and the difficulties we had in Northern Ireland. I suggest that the greatest progress in terms of bridging traditions, bringing people together and respecting others' backgrounds and traditions happened in voluntary groups. Here, people were meeting, not in a political sense but getting to know each other and becoming able to measure each other's concerns while at the same time trying to explain their positions, which were often not understood because we were dealing largely with megaphone diplomacy, headlines of a tragic nature, and letters to the newspapers. This is a case in which the volunteer movement played its role when it came to history.

During the week, one political commentator, talking about how we might make savings in the upcoming budget, suggested the abolition of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. This was not tongue-in-cheek. He is a highly respected political correspondent in one of our national newspapers. I was not angry; I was sad that he was so lacking in knowledge about what was happening in the country. I would have said to him that of all Departments, this is the very one that has played a role in getting value for money.

When representatives of the State met volunteers and their groups, as they have done in recent years, the contribution they made was not a reward or an acknowledgement but an opportunity to expand what existed locally already and to position ourselves to deal with a changing society. We have seen how affluence does this by its very nature. We all know of the greed that exists; we have discussed it in this House. We also know that those who are vulnerable in society often get caught in the stampede of those who want to increase their bank balances. Very often these are the silent people and they need groups to speak on their behalf. The bodies that existed needed assistance to use professionalism to support what was already happening locally. In the main, it did not minimise, dilute or distract from the voluntary effort. I certainly hope this will continue into the future.

We must bear in mind the diversity of groups that exist. They all do different things and, to some extent, specialise in different aspects of work. Reference has been made, for example, to the GAA. One could add to that a variety of groups, such as the ICA, farmers' groups, youth groups, cultural groups and so on all doing their own thing. Wherever there is a coming together of volunteers, it has to help. Ní neart go cur le chéile; unity is strength. There have to be meeting points for these groups because a certain interaction is required. There might even be an overlap.

One thing among many others for which I give credit to the Department is its anxiety, in planning its funding, to ensure it did not undermine in some way the voluntary effort it was trying to help. That was vital. On many of the schemes we have discussed here we have gone through these items in detail and made our points and had the opportunities. They have been listened to and in many ways they have also been built into the legislation.

I also pay tribute to the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, as I have done in the past. He has travelled extensively throughout the country and has met small, big and diverse groups. He has listened to them and invariably he has brought back the benefit of that. With the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, we are proving once again that there is no rural-urban divide. Volunteerism does not end with Dublin city. Volunteerism is everywhere one goes. Regarding tradition, one can pick out Connemara in rural Ireland or the Liberties in Dublin. There is no difference in the focus which applies in all those cases.

However, there is an opportunity for the media to play a role in this regard. I am not going in for media bashing. All I ever look for is some balance. Every day the newspapers portray a tiny number of people from the entertainment world as representative of the entire population, as if they were the only heroes and heroines. There are times when we should acknowledge the unsung heroes and heroines who are beavering away not for their own advancement but for the good of the community at large. I am not saying that a certain amount of that does not already happen, nor am I saying that volunteers even want it. However, it would help to enhance the role they play. When they are looking for role models there are times when they should go away from the glitter and tinsel, and get down to the heart of the community and recognise these people for what they are. I meet them every day of the week.

Senator Bradford made a great presentation and also reflected what I am saying about the whole ethos of volunteering. He picked up one example of a nursing home. I visited a nursing home in my area last night. Some of the people were quite elderly and ill. There are opportunities for young people in particular. Older people love meeting younger people and have time to talk to them. Younger people have much to learn in that regard. We should always seek those opportunities. Regarding the record of the Department, I agree that volunteer centres were necessary. I have no doubt the contribution those 20 centres are making is vital. An investment of €2.5 million is considerable and I am sure more could be required.

The Charities Bill is going through the Houses at the moment. It was necessary to have a more focused regulation in this regard because if one charity comes under the spotlight, all charities come under it. While it might be the wrong day or even the wrong couple of weeks for making this suggestion, I know people with money in the bank, who would be prepared to give a loan to sporting bodies and other charities for a small interest that would be much smaller than the banks charge. I understand that in the past charities were allowed to take loans and pay interest. I suggest that interest should be tax-free. If the money is left lying in the current account it is dead. If that money were lent with a small interest, how much might charities that are borrowing at full commercial rates save?

I wish the Minister of State well. I have no doubt that he has the finger on the pulse in this regard. I compliment him on his contribution and I hope a major part of that could be circulated more widely.

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