Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the initiatives which have been funded by his Department under the White Paper on voluntary activity; the status of the white paper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36907/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding the status of the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 48 of 5th October, 2006.

The current status of funding schemes under the White Paper is as follows:

Under the Funding Scheme to Support the Role of Federations, Networks and Umbrella bodies, 32 groups have been funded to a total of €6.78m over three and a half years;

Under the funding Scheme for Training and Supports, 20 projects have been funded to a total of €2.13m over three and a half years;

The National Anti-Poverty Networks have been funded to a total of €4.8m over three and a half years.

Funding under these schemes will continue until mid-2007. In the meantime, my Department is in the process of reviewing these existing White Paper funding arrangements and it is intended that new funding arrangements to take forward the principles of the White Paper will be advertised towards the end of this year. These will then be implemented from the cessation of the current schemes.

Another important area of activity under the White Paper is volunteering:

My Department is responsible for core funding totalling €624,000 provided to 9 Volunteer Bureaux;

In addition, funding of €150,000 has been provided over three years to Volunteer Centres Ireland for the employment of a Development Officer. A key task for the Development Officer is to develop reliable statistical data on volunteering to inform further initiatives, and to support the further development of Volunteer Bureaux;

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 €800,000 over three years is being provided to support the Young Social Innovators programme.