Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and I am glad to have the opportunity to make a few points about this campaign. We all agree with the ambition of The One Percent Difference campaign, although sadly, the first I heard of it was when this debate was scheduled. I am regularly on-line and read newspapers, although I am clearly not sufficiently well-read. If I am admitting the first I heard of this was when this debate was scheduled, we must raise the campaign's profile. For that reason, we should celebrate the fact we are holding the debate, and I hope the other House has a similar debate. We should use the opportunities we have, through the media and otherwise, to promote the campaign.

I am sure everybody will mention that Irish people are world renowned for contributing to charity and as Senator Landy has mentioned, perhaps we are more renowned when there is a global or international crisis or major event where lives are lost and money is needed. We are per capita bigger contributors than anywhere else. The point has been well made, and 89% of Irish adults give to a charity, compared to 58% in the UK and 40% in Germany. As Senator Landy - and I am sure Senator Ó Murchú - mentioned, at 0.1% of profit, it seems the top 500 companies in Ireland could do more in contributing to charity.

Coming from the sector, I know these companies are putting together a budget for philanthropy; a company like United Drug might give €100,000 annually to philanthropic and charitable organisations but many companies have basic rules such as stipulating that all recipients must get €200. I do not know if that kind of approach has the kind of penetrative impact it could, especially if a campaign like The One Percent Difference campaign could indicate areas of focus. I know we are focusing heavily on the arts, and I will speak on that in a moment. We could have a government-guided approach on the issues funded - perhaps by up to €800 million - on an annual basis, with a menu of areas that we would like people to support. We could also stipulate tangible outcomes to be achieved in that respect, which might help focus minds in the corporate sector. If they see an initiative that they wish to support, it would be better than the approach I outlined as taking place now. I picked United Drug but I am sure there are countless companies, including multinationals and the larger publicly quoted indigenous companies, that could be involved. It would be a better strategic approach.

As Members of the Oireachtas, I imagine many of us far exceed the 1% target in our donations. Quickly totting up the organisations with which I am involved and support, the contribution comes to 6.5% or 7%, and I am sure I am at the lower end of contributions made by Members of both Houses.

Getting everybody up to 1%, even in these difficult times, would be good. We need in selling that idea to highlight the tangible outcomes that can be achieved.

Governments have consistently been penny wise and pound foolish regarding the arts. It is an easy target and a few million euro is taken from the sector every year. For example, €3.1 million was taken from the Irish Sports Council in the budget. These are headings we do not automatically acknowledge as being huge contributors to the revenue of the State with great potential. We need to examine this issue. The arts sector provides 80,000 jobs and contributes approximately €5 billion to the Exchequer, but it has scope to generate tens of billions of euro, if targeted correctly. We can generate larger returns for small investments in the arts. This does not jump out at people as a sector that can create many jobs, but it can and we should think outside the box in this regard. There may be low hanging fruit in the sector to create jobs.

I have raised the issue of sports tourism previously. With others, I championed the Rally Ireland project. The Volvo Ocean Race and Tall Ships events have since been held and run well throughout the country. Rally Ireland generated €50 million following a small investment, while the return was similar for the Volvo Ocean Race. Yesterday I spoke to somebody in Sligo who was involved in the hosting of the world championships in paddleboarding. That event could attract an infinite number of visitors. According to his calculations, it will be worth more to Ireland than the boat race. If we were to target ten events worldwide to bring to Ireland which would be worth €50 million each, that would generate €500 million in revenue. Every €1 million spent on such events equates to 13 jobs. If we produced a list of events such as the fleadh hosted by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann which has a number of spin off events, we could target them to generate more revenue. That would not take from the small amounts given to other needy charities. Along with being the right thing to do in terms of being philanthropic, charitable and donating to organisations, such events can create jobs and additional revenue streams for the State.

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute. I hope the Minister will up the ante to raise the profile of this campaign, as we all should. I will try, notwithstanding the fact that yesterday was the first time I had heard about it.