Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, in view of the current Exchequer surplus, he intends to fully meet the funding commitments originally set out in the White Paper on Voluntary Activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11464/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 63 on 14 December 2004. As I indicated in that response, while the broad principles of the White Paper remain, it is appropriate that the mechanisms for addressing these be adjusted to appropriately reflect wider developments including contextual, programme and structural changes.

In any event, current funding commitments to support certain community and voluntary activity exceed the €9 million projected in the White Paper as the following appendix indicates.

Appendix

Under the funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies, 32 groups are currently being funded totalling €5.48 million over three years. Under the funding scheme for training and supports, 20 projects are currently being funded totalling €1.83 million over three years. The national anti-poverty networks are being funded to a total of €4.1 million over three years. The Department is funding volunteering through its existing grants to three volunteer groups totalling €829,595 over a three year period. In the new volunteering package, announced in March 2005, core funding will be provided to six further volunteer bureaux totalling €900,000 over the next three years. A further €500,000 of local area partnership funding is being ring-fenced for measures that encourage volunteers and volunteering. A further €500,000 of the Department's cohesion fund will be spent on measures that will promote volunteers and volunteering locally. Funding totalling €600,000 is being provided to support the young social innovators programme, including the annual showcase awards, over three years. Funding totalling €330,000 over three years is also being provided to the DIT community learning programme, CLP, which is an example of a new teaching method called service-learning and, works by integrating classroom learning in any subject with suitable volunteering activity.