Vol. 501 No. 5
21 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the role the voluntary organisations carry out in the community; his views on whether the appointment of statutory co-ordination in each area would be of enormous benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6294/99]
I am aware of and recognise the very valuable work undertaken by a whole range of voluntary and community groups in different areas of work and addressing different needs, including, for instance, community development, social services for older people, people with physical and learning disabilities, victims of abuse and other groups with special needs. The sector also includes groups providing youth services, community enterprise development groups and community education groups. Voluntary and community groups and organisations range from very large national organisations, with local branches throughout the State, to small-scale local and single issue groups. As well as meeting important social and other needs, such groups are an essential component of a modern democratic society and a key mechanism whereby citizens can participate in society in a structured way, either in terms of organising to address issues of immediate concern to them as individuals or their community and in terms of giving something back on a voluntary basis to society or to those less fortunate than themselves.
As already announced, I am committed to producing a White Paper on the relationship between the State and the voluntary and community sectors. I anticipate that the White Paper will be published before the end of the summer. The White Paper will address a range of issues that have been raised in the course of an extensive consultation process undertaken by my Department with assistance from the other Departments and agencies concerned, including the support and information needs of voluntary and community groups at local level and how best groups can be encouraged to network and co-ordinate their work in specific geographical areas. However, I should say that the format of any support arrangements in this regard will need to take account of the diversity of the sector and the independence and autonomy of the sector, which, of course, is a vital part of its ethos and its role as a sector in civil society. In this light, the provision of statutory co-ordination would not appear to be the most enabling and appropriate response to the needs of local community and voluntary groups.
However, as the Deputy will be aware, the Government has decided that the local Government system and local development bodies should move towards an integrated local government development system, together with the public sector agencies and social partners involved at local level, which builds on the experiences and strengths of both systems. A task force, chaired by my colleague, the Minister for Environment and Local Government, has been charged with overseeing the implementation of this decision. The new arrangements will have implications for those community groups which have been involved in the Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development and other partnership structures and are intended to bring about improved co-ordination and greater cohesion amongst all participants in the local development process.
