Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
531. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of his Department’s policy regarding each of the four recommendations from the ‘Put Children First: End Orphanage Care’ campaign (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13002/23]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to the promotion of best practice in international volunteering and actively participates in the implementation of the National Volunteering Strategy. The promotion of ethical and skills based international volunteering is one of the five high-level objectives of this strategy and the Department chairs the relevant implementation sub-group.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has a longstanding strategic partnership with Comhlámh, the Irish association of development workers and volunteers. A key feature of this partnership is the promotion of ethical and skills-based international volunteering, through the Comhlámh Code of Good Practice . Comhlámh also actively participates in the relevant National Volunteering Strategy implementation sub-group.
The End Orphanage Care Campaign was established by Comhlámh and a number of signatories to the Comhlámh Code of Good Practice . The aim is to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of international volunteering in orphanages. The Campaign proposes four recommendations, three of which are addressed to the Department of Foreign Affairs. These are: (i) the introduction of a dedicated funding stream for care reform strategies, including family and community-based support programmes; (ii) the development of foreign travel advice warning of the harm caused by orphanage volunteering and (iii) the introduction of grant eligibility criteria to exclude programmes involving the sending of volunteers to orphanages. The fourth recommendation is addressed to both the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and is for the development of child-safe guidelines for trips overseas, including guidance not to visit or volunteer in orphanages.
Department of Foreign Affairs officials are engaging with Comhlámh on the recommendations and attended the campaign briefing in Leinster House on 25 January 2023. Officials will also take forward the discussions with relevant stakeholders in the National Volunteering Strategy implementation sub-group.
