Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the level of volunteerism here; if he is satisfied that the recent trend of a drop in such in relation to community, charity work and so on is checked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26514/07]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Taskforce on Active Citizenship, which reported earlier this year, found during the course of its consultations and research that voluntary activity appears not to have declined. In comparing the 2002 and 2006 Surveys by the ESRI, volunteering is up from 17.1% in 2002 to 23.1% in 2006. Active community involvement is also up from 21.7% to 29%.

Support for Volunteering has been steadily increased since a number of measures, aimed at strengthening and supporting volunteering, worth almost €2m, were announced in March 2005. Following on from this package of measures on volunteering the Department has continued to develop policies on volunteering and to fund a range of initiatives in this area. The Government indicated in TOWARDS 2016 its commitment to further developing policy to support volunteering, drawing on the experience in delivering the measures of 2005/6 and informed by the recommendations of the Task Force on Active Citizenship. The Agreement also indicates increased funding of €5m per annum to support volunteering and this Department will work with stakeholders to identify the most appropriate way to use this funding to further promote and develop volunteering in Ireland.