John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senators for the opportunity to present some views and hear the opinions put forward. Senator Quinn said we have a long and proud tradition of volunteering in Ireland, and every speaker reflected that point of view. Shortly before I was promoted in May of this year, I was with the Committee of Public Accounts in Zambia in South Africa. We did the official part, and in our free time we had a private itinerary. We visited some of the Irish there who were involved in charitable works. In many cases they were from religious organisations. They were there in small numbers, but the impact they had was huge. They still had ties and contact with Ireland, and many of them received support because they were religious organisations. One example was the Silesians. There were two Silesian fathers involved in a homeless project. They ran a school, accommodation and a hostel outside Capetown in a deprived part of the town. They were in contact with the Silesian College in Celbridge, and there were funds and school items sent over. The impact they were having, even though there were small numbers and resources, was unbelievable. Everyone who spoke on that recognised that there is something in us as a race that wants to give, to participate and volunteer.

Any time we are faced with a challenge, people at a national or global level rise to the challenge, whether it is a global disaster such as a tsunami, the Special Olympics or in our own community rise to the challenge time and again. The important aspect of volunteering is not to make volunteers but to create the capacity and opportunity for people to volunteer. I will not address all the comments made, but I have taken them and I will reflect on them.

Some of the figures were right. People do not volunteer because they are not asked. Many of us volunteer because we are parents. We become involved in organisations and societies because of our children. They join the football club and we go with them. One comment made was that it is important to engage with young people and students. They are the volunteers of the future and the way they learn in school is the way they will continue. Having an informal chat or a pint with people here, I have found almost every member of all parties of both Houses have come from backgrounds where they have been involved in their local communities, initially as volunteers. Many remain so to this day.

I became involved in the board of management of a school approximately 11 years ago when my eldest child started school. It was easier to get on the board of management than off it. I am still on the same board even though all three children had passed through the school. There is something in us all that wants to give.

When people move house, for example from rural Ireland to Dublin, if we do not create the opportunities and facilities for people to volunteer it may not be easy for them. We have established the volunteer centres; they are relatively new and there are 20 of them. Rather than roll out more and let them go off at a tangent, we are now doing a review to find out what they are doing, how they are doing it and make sure we have best practice. We want to roll out the 20 volunteer centres we have on a national basis. We need to know their precise role and that they meet specific criteria. A number of people have come to the volunteer centres; they have recruited and asked people to volunteer and have matched them with a range of organisations.

Many people spoke on the GAA. Those of my age, and older and younger, will know when we grew up volunteering was very different. Even the GAA has changed today. When I grew up, the GAA I knew in my area was a completely voluntary organisation. Now there are development officers assisting and working alongside volunteers. It is important to acknowledge we still have large volunteering groups, but we must assist them. Times have changed, but not for the worse. We have changed for the better. We have standards and criteria, and they are for the good of the population at large.

The legislation on charities will insure against fraud and misappropriation. The regulations we are introducing are not intended to make things more complicated, but for the good of all. The Government has made significant progress in implementing the objectives of volunteering and active citizenship agreed under Towards 2016, and in the White Paper on supporting voluntary activity. Through its involvement in social partnership, the community and voluntary sector has put the issue of active citizenship to the forefront of the Government's thinking. Initiatives such as the Taskforce on Active Citizenship have further underlined the need to continue to develop opportunities for our citizens to get involved in a meaningful way with their communities. Financial support for the community and voluntary sector, and for volunteering, has grown in line with the Government's commitment to active citizenship. In addition to the €6 million allocated for supports to volunteering, more than €300 million of my Department's budget is channelled to voluntary and community groups, most of whom rely on volunteers to carry out their services. It includes funding for community premises and development workers. It also includes additional capacity for the most disadvantaged communities in more than 150 locations throughout the country. My Department now supports a network of 20 volunteer centres which are under review. It is important we adopt best practice.

In addition, by supporting key initiatives at second and third levels, the Government is assisting the next generation to take up the challenge of active citizenship and to make a difference. My Department is also encouraging initiatives to encourage a culture of philanthropy at every level in society from schools to the boardrooms of our most successful companies.

I listened to all the comments and a number of issues arose, including insurance for community groups, which we need to look at to ensure we facilitate them. We spoke about community awards. My local authority, South Dublin County Council, has a scheme that gives recognition to small voluntary groups which, without those awards, would largely go unnoticed. It gives them a huge boost, a sense of well-being and status within the community.

I thank all Senators who contributed to the debate. There are too many comments for me to go through but I will take them back to the office.