Conor Lenihan
Question:215 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans he has to encourage permanent volunteer bureaux around the country in order to promote the community and voluntary sector. [17350/00]
Written Answers. - Community and Voluntary Groups.
Conor Lenihan
Question:217 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the permanent funding, if any, he intends putting in place in order to support the volunteering movement. [17360/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 217 together.
I have been very conscious of the need to promote the active involvement of people in community and voluntary groups as an essential component of a democratic society and to foster measures that promote active participation by people in the community. Volunteer bureaux is a vital ingredient in promoting such active involvement and participation by people in community and voluntary groups. They have the capacity to support organisations and volunteers, and to publicise the potential of volunteering to citizens.
The General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers, known as IYV 2001. The year is designed to enhance recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteer service. The intended outcomes of the year are that more needs be identified with which volunteers can help; that more people everywhere offer their services as volunteers; and volunteer programmes receive increased resources and facilities to help then assign those new volunteers to tackling the needs.
The UN Year of the Volunteer will provide a focus for activity to support the volunteering movement. The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness provides that a national committee on volunteering will be established, with participation from relevant interests, which will devise strategies and actions for supporting and developing volunteering. The committee will devise strategies and actions for supporting and developing volunteering, not just during the international year, but for the longer term. I will shortly be bringing a memorandum to the Government regarding the setting up of this committee.
The forthcoming White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity and for Developing the Relationship between the State and the Community and Voluntary Sector will be instrumental in outlining measures, including funding measures, that will support the volunteering movement in promoting active participation by people in the community. I am finalising these proposals for discussion at Government in the coming weeks. At this stage I intend that the White Paper will be finalised in July.