Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
153 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps he is taking to improve the profile and status of volunteering particularly as a means of tackling social inclusion. [11942/04]
View answerMy Department supports a range of structures and programmes that recognise the important role of volunteers in the area of community and local development. These include: provision for the participation of community volunteers on the boards or other governance structures of partnerships, CDPs, LEADER groups, RAPID area implementation teams; and funding of measures to address, through voluntary activities, a range of challenges facing communities, including disadvantage and social exclusion.
On 1 January 2004, my Department assumed responsibility from Comhairle for the provision of funding to Focus Ireland, Tallaght Volunteer Bureau and Volunteering Ireland to support their work in relation to volunteering. Volunteering is also supported via my Department's funding schemes under the White Paper on the Voluntary Sector and by way of the programme of grants for locally-based organisations in the community and voluntary sector. In addition, my Department supports a number of local volunteering bureaux through the local development programme. My Department will continue to work closely with these and other organisations in this field in supporting the development of volunteering.
