I welcome Dr. Yvonne McKenna, Ms Tricia Nolan and Ms Tina Roche from Volunteer Centres Ireland, VCI. I understand they made a presentation to the committee previously but that was before my time as Chairman. They are here to provide an update. I have looked at the presentation. Owing to the nature of business in the House a number of members sent their apologies. Other members are under time pressure. Therefore, owing to time constraints, I respectfully suggest that we will not go through the entire presentation but we have it on file. That way we will have an opportunity to ask questions. I invite Ms Nolan to proceed.
Role and Functions: Discussion with Volunteer Centres Ireland.
Ms Tricia Nolan
I am the chair of Volunteer Centres Ireland. I also manage the volunteer centre in South County Dublin. I am accompanied by Dr. Yvonne McKenna, chief executive officer of Volunteer Centres Ireland, and Ms Tina Roche, chief executive officer of Community Foundation Ireland and Business in the Community, Ireland. She is also a fellow board member of Volunteer Centres Ireland. Given that we will cut out some of the presentation, I invite Dr. McKenna to commence with the main presentation.
Dr. Yvonne McKenna
I thank the committee for meeting us today. Committee members have already received the report which gives an update on what Volunteer Centres Ireland has been doing following the committee's report in January 2005 and the Government's response to that report. We wish to take the opportunity to update the committee on the work of the volunteering infrastructure since 2005.
I have drawn on our national database that was mentioned previously in the report to provide some figures for 2008. More than 7,500 individuals registered to volunteer across our network of volunteer centres in 2008 and more than 3,000 of them were placed in the same year. Approximately 1,000 volunteer-involving organisations registered throughout the network and that was in addition to the approximately 2,500 organisations that were registered already. A total of 33% of those who registered to volunteer last year were not Irish nationals. That was a distinct increase on previous years in the number of non-Irish nationals coming forward to volunteer. A total of 56% of the people who registered had never volunteered previously and 69% of those who registered were 35 years of age or under.
To highlight the importance of those figures, for the first time the previous census in 2006 contained a question about volunteering which gave us some information about volunteering nationally. The census indicated that the national average was in the age group 40-49 and that most people had volunteered previously. We see a change in the pattern in that younger people are getting involved and that there are access points to volunteering that people who did not have traditional routes into volunteering are also able to find.
We collated the number of volunteer hours for which people volunteer. The figure, which is a conservative estimate, is more than 200,000 hours over the year. That is the equivalent of 114 full-time workers. Applying the average industrial wage, which was the figure suggested by the committee in its report from January 2005, the cost would be more than €3 million. In addition to the individuals who were placed through volunteer centres, the volunteer centres provide assistance and support to volunteer-involving organisations more generally. We do not suggest that the only volunteering that occurs is included in the figure outlined. There is a huge number beyond that where the volunteer-involving organisations are being assisted.
Already this year we have seen a 65% increase in the numbers registering to volunteer through the volunteer network. In fact, by the end of today more than 1,000 people will have registered to volunteer. A new picture is emerging that we are able to see, even in the first month of the new year. Two patterns are evident. The first is a decline in the number of non-Irish nationals and the second is an increase in the number of people citing becoming recently unemployed as a motivating factor in their volunteering.
Some of the other developments to which I would like to draw the committee's attention are the national volunteer and management training programme. Currently, staff in all the volunteer centres in our network are being trained to provide volunteer and management training so that they can provide it to organisations within their remit. It was a recommendation of the committee's report in 2005 that volunteer management be recognised and invested in and we are pleased to see that is happening.
Another development relates to Garda vetting. Better access to vetting formed another recommendation of the committee's report in 2005. It was recognised by VCI and the volunteer centres as a significant barrier to volunteering. We are happy to inform the committee that staff in all the volunteer centres have been trained and that Garda vetting is already being offered through most of the centres. That service will be rolled out across the network.
Another recommendation of the committee's report in 2005 was that a national campaign around volunteering should be developed. Our response to that was Give it a Swirl Day. It is not just a campaign; it is an initiative to get people involved in hands-on volunteering projects on one day of the year. In its inaugural year in 2007 we had more than 800 individuals involved and last year more than 2,300 participants got involved. We will work on that again this year. We want to turn it into an annual national event. Increasingly, what we want is for people to see it as their day. It is an initiative of VCI but the idea is that anyone who wants to get involved can do so.
Neither VCI nor our volunteer centres operate in a vacuum. It is vital that we work with other stakeholders, not just other volunteer-involving organisations and not-for-profit organisations but also other public and private organisations. It is important that volunteer centres individually and VCI develop relationships, which we already do. An example of that is our work with Ms Roche and Business in the Community and organisations such as Boardmatch. We recognise that we are differently placed in the landscape but we also recognise the importance of working together to achieve our aims. One of the important factors for us has been the development of an active citizenship task force. We look forward to working with it.
In the same way that VCI and the volunteer centres do not exist in a vacuum, neither does volunteering more generally. Societal realities and trends must by necessity inform the volunteering infrastructure. It is more than four years since Ms Nolan made a presentation to this committee and also four years since the committee's report on volunteers and volunteering. It is just a little less since the announcement of Government funding for the volunteering infrastructure. As the presentation circulated shows, much has been achieved and changed in the interim. We are living in a very different country and world than in 2005, even the time of the case that inspired the establishment of the task force. The most pressing realities we face are recession and retreating resources in the sector, not only in terms of Government funding but also opportunities to attract wider sponsorship. Rising unemployment is also a factor. Now more than ever it is required that volunteering and supports for volunteering be recognised as vital. This is not a jaded response to an economic crisis but a positive, proactive, realistic and worthwhile action to take, with potentially massive returns. Volunteering is an end in itself but also a means to an end — to retraining, rediscovering abilities, developing confidence, responsibility and investment in the community. We have been fond of discussing the psychological impact of the Celtic tiger and, in some cases, gone a little too far but it is important for us to consider the impact of recession, including the psychological impact. If supported properly, volunteering will assist us to cope with these realities.
The budget for volunteer centres nationally is approximately €2.4 million and is provided for in the national development plan and Towards 2016. It is not in spite of, but because of, the recession that it is imperative that we continue to invest in volunteering in recognition of its intrinsic value and the fundamental role it plays in a healthy and active society. Volunteering is no more than, but also no less than, the difference between activity and inactivity and now more than ever we need to continue to act and support those who wish to act.
I welcome the delegates and thank them for their comprehensive report and presentation. The figures at the beginning were impressive. I am interested in a number of matters. Ms McKenna has stated a decreased number of volunteers is not a problem as such but the dearth of appropriate and rewarding volunteering opportunities. Will she expand on this? It is important that we acknowledge and promote active citizenship. This means volunteering, be it for local charities or sports organisations at community level. The spirit of volunteering has been lost or sidelined in some cases.
Reference was made to education. The report of 2005 refers to transition year. If one considers the cuts to be imposed in education, affecting the LCA and transition year programmes, one will conclude that teachers will be forced to choose between allowing a group of transition year students to take up a community placement at the local school for disabled children or become involved with Cork COPE Foundation, for example, or any other charitable organisation as part of their transition year module. I say this as a teacher. In the case of the applied leaving certificate, as part of their core module, students must embark on an active citizenship programme. This is under threat as a consequence of the cuts made in the budget. I am interested in the delegates' views on this.
The report on the issuing of dormant accounts funds, which report we received in 2005, stated such funding should be targeted primarily at voluntary organisations. Much of the money from the dormant accounts fund has been invested in RAPID programme areas. Has Volunteer Centres Ireland benefited from the fund?
This committee should be seen to actively promote voluntarism and active community service, irrespective of sphere or form. People are sometimes reluctant to volunteer, primarily because of time constraints. In addition, they see others who have been volunteering for years and are consequently afraid they will invade people's territory. We must demystify the fact that we all have a part to play in building a sustainable community. How better than through voluntarism?
I welcome the delegates. As public servants, we work a lot with the voluntary organisations in our constituencies. In recent years organisations have witnessed a definite decrease in the number of people volunteering to help, be it for the Irish Wheelchair Association, charity shops, sports facilities or other groups. I am delighted to hear 69% of volunteers are aged 35 years or under and that, of this group, more than 50% are aged 25 years or under. This is very positive. As the recession bites deeper, many more people will be unemployed. As a way of passing their time while awaiting an economic upturn, they can become involved in local activities and volunteering, be it by providing meals on wheels or otherwise.
None of us underestimates the extraordinary debt society owes to the voluntary sector. I hardly get to see my mother who is in her 89th year because she spends two and half days per week volunteering. She has seen an uptake in the number of young people helping her in her voluntary activity in County Wicklow. Despite the economic constraints, I hope we can build on the fund of €2.4 million because the volunteers are doing an absolutely outstanding job. The psychological benefit of voluntary work to those who become unemployed is great. It enhances self-esteem and counteracts the indignity of having to queue for social welfare payments. Members of this committee will be doing everything they can to support the delegates' organisation. We will not be found wanting, I hope, in putting forward creative ideas to support it. I thank the delegates for attending.
I, too, welcome the delegates. It does not seem like four years since they were last in attendance. My mind is really beginning to disappear.
A volunteering initiative is one of the major initiatives required in rural and urban areas. What is the breakdown of figures in respect of rural and urban areas?
That 1,000 volunteer groups have registered throughout the network shows Volunteer Centres Ireland is doing a good job. The groups want to be part and parcel of that network and not lose out. Is registration a cry for help on their part because they are experiencing a fall-off? It is good to see that so many have registered. With regard to the 2,500 which have registered, have some such as the GAA, IRFU or FAI registered on behalf of all their respective affiliated clubs? Alternatively, might a club here or there be looking for help?
Having spent a lifetime involved with various organisations, I have noted that certain individuals may have been a chairman or secretary for 35 years. I was in this position myself for a good while. Is there a certain resentment of new faces coming on the scene? Deputy Buttimer has alluded to the fact that individuals may not volunteer for fear that there may be a dominating person in an association. It is sometimes to the detriment of an association that it does not allow its numbers to expand.
On the involvement of non-nationals, many very good people have approached me from different countries who are interested in becoming involved in organisations. As there was trouble in their countries, they were looking for direction in educational activities and so forth. From the statistics presented, can we tell if these volunteers want to become more involved in Irish culture or learn from the experience for the benefit of their own countries?
Garda vetting is a positive development. Given the importance of volunteers with children, does the organisation provide training for new members in first aid? Young people need to be active, and, of course, when they are active accidents can occur. Often, I have noticed at local GAA matches there are few people who are trained in first aid and to approach an accident in a positive manner. Those who are trained to deal with an immediate medical problem will get others to assist them in ensuring the person gets the best treatment as soon as possible. Although we are a sports mad nation and many participate in sports, there are not enough participants trained in first aid. What is the delegation's view on this?
As other members have stated, we will do everything we can to assist as we see volunteering as an important activity. Irrespective of the state of the economy, volunteers will always be wanted. A good volunteer never looks to see if there is a good balance sheet.
Céad míle fáilte romhaibh agus bail ó Dhia ar an obair. Níl aon amhras faoi ach go bhfuil sár-obair ar siúl agaibh. Tuigeann muid go léir an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an obair sin.
Dr. McKenna set the right tone when she said not despite but because of the recession that it is imperative we continue to invest in volunteering. All reasonable people would agree with this.
The nature of volunteering, however, is changing along with society. If one lives in a large urban area where one might not know one's next door neighbour, there is not the same cohesion or interaction that might highlight what is necessary in that community. Such communities are the poorer for that. How do we get people in such communities to interact with each other?
Volunteering is not in major decline but one area in which a change is apparent is in the taking up of posts of responsibility in organisations. Younger people do not seem to rush in the same way as they would have done in the past. It might be necessary to examine how encouraging the taking up of positions could be introduced into the civics curriculum in schools.
The Special Olympics in Ireland was an outstanding example of volunteerism covering the country. Whether one was in a town or a townland, we all experienced the games and got involved. While it was a once-off event and was down to the leadership, it should be taken as a case study for volunteering. The event set a momentum in train that should be examined.
Has the delegation examined some of the new obstacles to volunteering such as insurance cover? There have been problems for some organisations getting public liability cover for their activities. A body like Volunteer Centres Ireland may serve some role in assisting organisations getting cover. People are much more conscious of the insurance and compensation situation.
People tend to fade away from volunteering rather than making a direct statement on it. In such cases I have encountered, people have privately informed me they have concerns about insurance and also child sexual abuse. People feel much more reluctant in getting involved with young people because of the terrible difficulties that have arisen with abuse in the past. Is there a way of overcoming the residue from those scandals to encourage people into giving their services again?
Every year, there should be one single major co-operative event among all volunteering bodies. In my home-town with a population of 3,000 people there are 37 organisations from the GAA to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to Meals On Wheels. That is ten more organisations than pubs in the town. If those organisations did not exist, our town would be impoverished.
I agree with the sentiments expressed regarding financial investment. The work of the State is, to all intents and purposes, being done by voluntary organisations. I do not think it is in decline. It should not be taken for granted. We should be positioning ourselves to meet our changing society and its needs. When I was at mass in Ennis recently, I noted the magnificent job done in the church of integrating the non-nationals in the community in a large ceremonial way. It genuinely lifts one's spirit to see that. It is a voluntary and community effort.
Every euro invested in volunteering comes back more than a hundredfold to the community. The benefit is not just in the tangible results one can see but also to the spirit of the community. If I do something for which I am not paid, I gain personally from it. Considering many volunteering organisations need professional back-up, are there ways of ensuring volunteerism does not get sidelined because of this? I thank the delegation for the work it is doing and I hope it has good news from Santa Claus in the spring.
I welcome the group and congratulate it on its work. Volunteers are the unsung heroes of our society. I was very aware of the work that went on during the Special Olympics. That was a mammoth task. Volunteers in Ireland can be very proud of what they did.
I would not be as optimistic as Senator Ó Murchú about the same level of commitment to volunteerism. From my work, I have seen a dramatic fall off in the number of people involved in community associations, residents' groups and even sports clubs. When I was younger and was trying to get involved in club committees, we would almost have to kill someone to oust the chairman or the secretary. There is a real challenge for society, and for the group before us in particular, to try to harness the level of goodwill that exists among people. Trying to focus it in a particular direction is difficult.
Would the witnesses consider some form of training exercise for potential chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers? Senator Ó Murchú made the valid point that most people will go to the annual general meetings of clubs, but they do not want to be secretary or treasurer because there is work involved. This is as a result of people's other commitments as we are all busy working and socialising. Young people could be given training in the role of chairperson or secretary. The work of a treasurer in an organisation is little more than collecting money, recording it and lodging it to the bank. One does not have to give detailed audits and sign one's life away by certifying a true and accurate account at the end of the year. This is one area in which Volunteer Centres Ireland could expand its involvement. There are people who still wish to volunteer in spite of this downturn.
What contact has there been with groups representing non-nationals? Non-nationals frequently come into my office asking how they can get involved in the community. They tell me they now have residency and that they want to be a part of the local community. They do not know how to go about this. Has Volunteer Centres Ireland had contact with the Minister of State for integration, Deputy Conor Lenihan? Does the group try to make contact with non-nationals in different towns and villages?
Volunteer Centres Ireland does exceptional work for the €2.4 million it receives in funding. Part of the Chairman's wish list for this committee is that extra funding be made available. It would be very well spent. Senator Ó Murchú made the point that the group gets a 100% return on its money.
The unemployment situation provides great potential to recruit new people. I would also suggest that retired people could play a part. People are now retiring early. Has the group got involved with Age Action Ireland and senior citizens' organisations? There is much talent out there, and those people want to get involved. Deputy White mentioned the fact that her 89 year old mother gets involved. We all have relatives who are at a time in life when they want to be out meeting young people as well as their own age groups.
What does Volunteer Centres Ireland do to advertise its services? I would hazard a guess that most people would not know of the organisation's existence. It is an opportune time for the organisation to advertise its wares. In looking for more money from the Minister, this would be one platform in which it could engage with new communities.
I welcome our visitors. As public representatives, we deal constantly with voluntary groups and organisations. Many of the headquarters for different groups are located in my constituency of Dublin Central.
I was interested to hear about the perceived decline in the number of non-nationals. There are many new communities in my constituency and I was wondering if that was a national trend. Many of the younger people who came here for economic reasons have moved on, but quite a number of new families have settled here. Many of them come to us looking to know how they can become more involved in their communities. Many of them are involved in their own specific community groups. Is the decline a national trend, or is it just in Dublin?
The witnesses mentioned their interaction with the task force on active citizenship. Much work was put into that at the time. Has that interaction progressed? Has there been any result to it?
Dr. Yvonne McKenna
I will start with Senator Buttimer's questions and will then go through the list. He asked about the dearth of opportunities, and that is the case. We have always had more people wanting to volunteer than we have opportunities towards which they can be directed. I appreciate the point that we all have experience of particular organisations that are having difficulties finding more volunteers. There are wider questions to be asked about the barriers to volunteering. Somebody has already mentioned that sometimes it is the volunteers themselves that are the barrier. Younger people coming into an organisation may feel excluded, so there are many issues involved. However, there is generally a greater supply of volunteers than there is a supply of volunteering opportunities that are appropriate, rewarding and that fit into people's lifestyles.
To be honest, I could not answer the question on the impact of funding cuts to education. This week, we met with Young Social Innovators about the involvement with schools. We all have to deal with a smaller amount of funding, so we must think creatively about how we develop the services, buttress the interest in volunteering and turn it into something operational. Some of the finest examples I have seen in other countries of the involvement of younger people in volunteering has started in primary school. There are opportunities for that here.
Ms Tricia Nolan
A couple of centres have received money from the dormant accounts fund to run specific projects. Our centre received money to run a project to support people with special needs who want to volunteer. That would not be a core fund. The terms of qualifying for the Dormant Accounts Fund often represent a bar for us when we apply for them because we would not qualify under any circumstances.
Dr. Yvonne McKenna
Because we are volunteering infrastructure organisations, it is difficult to make the case that we are more specific in the context of the dormant accounts fund.
With regard to the breakdown between urban and rural volunteers, most of our volunteer centres are in urban areas of greater population density. There are two issues with regard to the number of organisations joining volunteer centres. It is a recognition that such centres have services to provide, of which the organisations can avail. However, that does not negate what they would be doing in any case. The whole point of a volunteering infrastructure is not to take ownership of volunteering and hold it to ourselves but to provide new access points and reflect some of the gaps. For example, we can tell organisations that, whether they believe it, many, including young people, are registering to volunteer. If they are not going to a particular organisation, perhaps we need to do more in opening up communication to that organisation. In the same way that organisations register with volunteer centres because of the services they provide, it is both positive and a reaction perhaps to difficulties they are experiencing.
On multiple entities, national organisations can join one centre and their details will be passed around. However, this also happens at local level. If there is a local outlet such as a GAA club, an Oxfam shop or otherwise, it can be done locally also.
Barriers to volunteering is one of the items at which we need to look most. As a national organisation, we take the information from local volunteer centres and then give it back to them. The barriers to volunteering remain the same. The problem is that not everyone who wants to volunteer does so, which in itself points to some of the barriers. However, these are changing. One of the things we have noticed in the past 10 years is that non-nationals want to become involved in volunteering but being a non-national is a barrier; therefore, we have had to work with organisations and individuals to get around that issue.
New barriers are developing. We must recognise that there are people who have time on their hands and want to volunteer but perhaps are afraid to do so for fear they will lose out on benefits they are claiming. We need to examine this issue to ensure being active in volunteering will not be something people will avoid for fear of affecting their position, especially at this time.
On the training that can be provided for organisations, as a volunteering infrastructure organisation, we see the most important aspect of training as being volunteer management such as helping organisations to better involve volunteers and to be more creative. I do not want to use the word "professionalise" in this regard; I prefer to use the word "respect". We must treat volunteers with respect and work on this issue rather than focusing on the training of volunteers. We encourage organisations and highlight the training they might need to provide for volunteers but do not take on that role. Again, it is a resource issue for us.
Deputy White referred to youth volunteering. National statistics show there are more volunteers in the 40-49 year age group; therefore, young people are clearly less well represented. Our organisations are attracting more youth as an access point to volunteering and it is a reality that they tend to be a little more discerning. They might not want to take the traditional routes that others have taken and while some might have an interest in sports, others have different interests.
On another interesting point, having recently used focus groups with volunteer organisations, we ask whether they involve youth volunteers and what they are doing in this regard. The response is often "we are not a youth organisation," yet in the second breath it is said that in the future the organisation will rely on young volunteers. Therefore, there is a mismatch in this regard. We must encourage organisations not to think of involving youth volunteers only if they are youth organisations.
There is a wider issue with regard to non-nationals. Many of the organisations which register with us are Irish organisations. Those which come from ethnic communities are migrant groups which might not register with us because, in the same way as Irish people did in other countries previously, their structures tend to be less formal. We are finding that large numbers of non-nationals are registering with us and being placed in Irish organisations. That is not the whole story but it is a wonderful example of integration as it is happening, which is great.
Senator Ó Murchú pointed to some of the issues relating to the nature of volunteering which we must recognise. As a national organisation, we are able to take information on some of the trends and feed it to other organisations. Volunteering is changing. People have less time to give and while that is not to say fewer people want to give of their time, other factors apply. The fact people work separately from where they live and might not have the same local connections means there is more work to be done in opening up these channels of communication. It is important to look at other models. The reason the Special Olympic Games were so successful was they were very well managed. People knew what they were getting into and could make the connection between what they did and the objective of the organisation. It did not matter whether they were training, involved in an administrative role or otherwise. They knew what their role was and what was expected of them and they were able to achieve it. That is what was so wonderful about it and why we all got so involved. Before the Special Olympic Games were brought to Ireland, no one would have said this was a key area of concern. There are tends; for example, in the past few years homelessness has become a particularly important issue, one in which people want to become involved. Before the Special Olympics Games, we would not have said this, which is a credit to the organisation and the good management which turned them into what they turned out to be.
Deputy Kennedy has said he is not optimistic about the level of commitment shown and he is correct that it is a challenge. There is no doubt some organisations are suffering in the same way that some have more volunteers than they know what to do with. This is why the volunteering infrastructure is in place. The organisations in question were rarely set up to involve volunteers but to achieve aims, whether it be to develop sports facilities, alleviate homelessness or otherwise. That is why the volunteering infrastructure is so important. It is in place to support people to become involved and support organisations. To sound a note of optimism, not everybody who wants to volunteer is doing so, which in itself is an opportunity.
On how we get in touch with non-nationals, all volunteer centres will undertake outreach programmes and will be proactive in finding out where people are and showing ways into volunteering. We have made connections, not only through Irish Aid but also with the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Peter Power, whom we met recently and will meet again to discuss ways by which we can work together on the issue because it is about integration.
Funding is always an issue but we have achieved a lot and plan to achieve a lot more. We must be more creative in how we do this but, certainly in current circumstances, we are looking at the issues of people, time and energy, all of which are fantastic resources. Obviously, we would never say no to more funding but for the present we are appealing for it not to be cut. We are doing what we do with the funding we have but the demands on the infrastructure are becoming more onerous. I have pointed out that by the end of today 1,000 people will have registered to volunteer through our centres and this figure is likely to rise. If this continues, there will be 12,000 volunteers by the end of the year, a huge increase.
Unemployment is an issue to which we need to respond well. In the same way that becoming involved in volunteering never died during the Celtic tiger years, that there is greater unemployment presents us with an opportunity to highlight the message that the real value of volunteering needs to be brought to the fore. It is not a matter of saying people have time on their hands and should go and do something else but about returning to basic issues of what can be achieved and what we can do together. It is a challenge to make sure the right message is sent.
Our statistics are good at telling us what is or is not happening through our centres. If 70% of our volunteers are under 35 years, we must ask how we are getting to older people. As with younger people, there are older people who do not want to take the traditional routes to volunteering. We see this as a challenge and are already reaching out, not only with Age Action but in other ways also. We believe everyone who wants to volunteer should be able to access volunteering opportunities. I was asked to outline how we advertised our services. It is difficult to get a good news story into the media.
As we all know.
The Government does not have much good news to give us.
Dr. Yvonne McKenna
It has been a challenge. We have a great deal of talent in our network. I am not sure we are particularly media-savvy. That we are convinced of the merits of volunteering probably works against us. Letting the Members of the Oireachtas know what we are doing is part of our work. We are appealing to them to let their constituents know what we are doing. That is part of our strategy but it is difficult. We could ask for a great deal of money to put an advertising campaign together. However, we do not know how that would go. We need to appeal to people to publicise the many good news stories with which we are associated.
We were asked about the significance of national or local trends. I am not worried about the decline in the number of non-nationals who are volunteering. We are not trying to get that number to decrease — we want more people living in Ireland who want to volunteer to be able to do so. We are trying to facilitate this. While I accept the demographic or statistical reality, a significant number of non-nationals are continuing to volunteer. It is not just an urban thing — the statistics are a feature of the entire network.
We were asked to give our views on the task force. We are delighted that volunteering is seen as an important element of active citizenship. We were delighted that the task force was put together in the first instance. I do not necessarily agree entirely with the notion that the community response was dying. However, the community may not have been as loud. In some cases, we needed to tap into it a little more. In its report the task force highlighted the need to get more volunteers. Our position is that the most important aspect is to assist organisations which have an input from volunteers to develop roles for their volunteers. The task force set itself the goal of facilitating the recruitment of 60,000 new volunteers each year for three years. We asked where those people would be placed. We wanted to know how the task force would ensure the new volunteers would have appropriate and rewarding roles. I appreciate that the task force encountered delays and it is great that it has been put back together. It is also great that the steering committee is in place and we would like to have a role on it, as we are at the coalface of volunteering. We have met Mr. Dermot McCarthy to highlight some of the main volunteering issues. In particular, we emphasised the need to provide opportunities and support organisations in developing volunteering. We look forward to working with the task force to achieve its aims.
Ms Tricia Nolan
I think Dr. McKenna has answered all the questions we were asked. When I came here four years ago, there were two centres with core funding. The budget for volunteering was €200,000. There are now 22 centres and the organisation I represent — Volunteer Centres Ireland — has been established and receives core funding. Things have moved on and we are in a much better position. It is not all doom and gloom. We are really happy to have a tiny percentage of overall funding. We have worked well with the civil servants in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs who have supported the network. In the last week we have been working with them on a policy paper on volunteering and volunteer centres. I would like to acknowledge the support of those who have helped us during the years.
Ms Tina Roche
I would like to make one or two short comments in response to Deputy Kennedy. Business in the Community believes a different volunteering experience is being sought by people in the business sector, in particular. My organisation represents over 200 businesses, all of which employ people with professional skills who are interested in volunteering initiatives. When we look for volunteering opportunities to match those professional skills, we are often misunderstood. Some of the people we represent could act as chairpersons or treasurers, but we are rarely asked to provide anyone to fill such positions. We are more often asked to conduct fundraising. There is huge capacity and goodwill in the sector. We need to encourage community groups to think about where they might source people to meet their needs. There is substantial goodwill towards volunteering in the business community. There are volunteering initiatives throughout the sector, the potential of which is untapped. Many who work far from their homes are being given an opportunity to volunteer during work time. We need to make the best of this.
One of the new communities I love is the tiny Turkish community. Some in the community established a volunteering network within a short space of time of arriving in Ireland. They applied to the Community Foundation for Ireland for a grant. They are working with the elderly and friends of the elderly. They go on visits. When they visited Dublin Corporation, they asked what they could do to help. Our new communities are doing much more than we might think. Some 56 organisations are represented in the new community partnership on the quays in Dublin, all of which are looking at volunteering and how they can help Irish society. There is great goodwill to strengthen Irish communities.
I thank the delegates for their presentation. They answered the important questions they were asked by the members in a frank manner. Tá a fhios agam go maith cé chomh tábhachtach is atá obair dheonach. Tá mór-chuid daoine sa tír ag obair go deonach chun cuidiú le daoine eile. Ceapaim go mbeidh an obair sin i bhfad níos tábhachtaí sna laethanta agus, b'fhéidir, na blianta atá amach romhainn, os rud é go bhfuil daoine faoi bhrú i láthair na huaire ó thaobh airgead agus fadhbanna sóisialta de. Bhí deonachas tábhachtach i gcónaí sa tír seo. B'fhéidir go mbeidh sé níos tábhachtaí as seo amach cuidiú le daoine eile. Mar a dúirt baill an ghrúpa, ní hamháin go bhfuil oibrithe deonacha ag cuidiú le daoine eile atá cabhair de dhíth orthu, ach is rud tábhachtach dóibh féin í an chabhair sin. I thank the delegates and members of the committee once more.
The joint committee went into private session at 3.38 p.m. and adjourned at 3.40 p.m. sine die.