Fiach MacConghail (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, who has joined us for the latter part of the debate. I thank all the Senators who participated and I remind Senator Cullinane that the purpose of the motion is to provide a philosophical framework for the beginning of this discussion, so every Member of the House has a shared understanding of what is a great challenge, a challenge we are ready for, which is engaging with our fellow citizens both abroad and here about how they might commit on a strategic basis to whatever cause or journey is required.

Senator Daly mentioned that we are very good givers when there is a crisis. What we want to do is shift that culture in a more strategic direction. It does not matter whether it is ¤1 million or ¤2. That is what we are trying to examine and for Senator Cullinane to accuse us of not calling the Government to account is disingenuous. In the last couple of sessions we have certainly called the Government to account. Last December, for example, our group tabled a motion on the value of youth work, while in September we used our group's time to raise the issue of the organisations working with children with life limiting conditions. We have a track record of raising challenges facing the sector. I was disappointed that Senator Cullinane did not engage with the core philosophy behind this motion and offer his personal history about, perhaps, how he engaged with his local voluntary community groups with regard to fundraising and philanthropy. I hope he will not divide the House. This is a motion on which we are trying to work together so we can bring it forward to the next stage. We might even bring it to the environment committee when Senator Mary Ann O'Brien introduces her motion later in the term.

Our role as Independent Senators is to represent the debates, conversations and concerns of our respective communities and to relay them here in the Seanad. We are doing that today. Our ability to encourage and increase the standard of the way we work is an important point in that regard.

The Minister made some serious and key announcements today, certainly announcements of which I was not aware. I will repeat them for the record. He made a commitment to provide matching funding of ¤1.9 million over three years for the set-up costs of the social innovation fund. Later in his speech he made a commitment of ¤10 million. The social innovation fund is something many of our partners in the not-for-profit sector have been calling for and it is a recommendation in the report. Subject to Philanthropy Ireland matching that funding we will have a social innovation fund ready to go by the end of this year. That is important. I presume that coincides with the fact that the One Foundation is exiting.

The second important comment he made, certainly for me in terms of my research, is that he specifically set aside ¤400,000 over a three-year period, again to be matched by fundraising in Ireland, to provide for a pool of ¤800,000 towards capacity building in the sector. That is a headline piece of information I did not have before today. It was worth having this debate for that alone. How does that ¤800,000 for capacity building align with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht's commitment to capacity building and are there savings and value for money there? If everybody is going to procure various different experts to invest and train staff, perhaps both Departments uniquely can come together. In fairness to the Minister, he acknowledged that there is continuing dialogue between the two Departments. This would be an important area for us to examine in terms of value for money and procurement.

The final big headline was that the Minister announced the setting up of the social innovation fund with a minimum amount of ¤10 million. That is what all our colleagues in the sector have been seeking. It was mentioned in the recommendations of the report on philanthropy and it is something we applaud.

Finally, the message from this debate is clear. I thank everybody for participating in it. The contributions of Senators Ó Murchú and Keane were very valuable, as were those of my colleagues who, together, have brought this issue to the floor of the Seanad by way of engaging with this as we get through this recovery. Senator Zappone, speaking more eloquently than I could, understood to make those connections between our various communities and bring them together. Níl neart go cur le chéile. Finally, it is about individual giving and how we can encourage our citizens to make a commitment so they can bear witness and become active citizens by giving that euro, attending that cake sale or by buying a ticket to see something. That commitment is something we have innately but what we must do is make it strategically. I urge Sinn Féin not to divide the House on this motion. I commend the motion and thank the Government and the Minister for supporting it.