Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
66. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on her Department's engagement with the future board leaders' pilot 2023 scheme for individuals who are interested in volunteering their skills with organisations that have board vacancies, in particular those from minority backgrounds. [19267/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWill the Minister report on the Department's engagement with the future board leaders pilot scheme for individuals who are interested in volunteering their skills with organisations that have board vacancies, in particular those from minority backgrounds?
As the Deputy will be aware, the future board leaders pilot 2023 is a joint initiative by the Leadership Academy, a project of The Wheel, and Boardmatch Ireland. It is primarily funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science through the National Training Fund. While my Department does not deal directly with the future board leaders pilot, it does provide funding for a variety of other schemes that provide supports for volunteer board members in the community and voluntary sector.
Boardmatch has been working since 2005 to build stronger, more effective charity and not-for-profit boards by facilitating the matching of skilled individuals with the skills gaps of not-for-profit boards. Funding is provided to Boardmatch Ireland under my Department's scheme to support national organisations, and it has been awarded a total of €191,555 in funding under the current iteration of the scheme, which runs to 2025.
My Department has also provided funding to Boardmatch Ireland under the National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025. The funding was provided to implement action 52 of the strategy, which is to provide training on good governance to volunteer board members, as well as a matching service to recruit new board members. Boardmatch Ireland used the funding to deliver training sessions on financial governance and trustees training sessions, leading to a total of 465 individuals upskilling in trustee knowledge. Indeed, this year, Boardmatch Ireland has been awarded €58,600 under my Department’s scheme to strengthen and support volunteering.
Finally, my Department has responsibility for the Charities Regulator, who provides guidance and related supports to charity trustees, to assist them in carrying out their duties. Good governance practice is fundamental to the effective, efficient and accountable operation of our charities. These supports, as well as the implementation of the Charities Governance Code, have been vital in assisting our charity trustees.
It is something that is critically important for the development of our communities. Coming from a constituency like that of the Minister of State where a huge population has come in over the past 20 years, it is really important that we provide every opportunity we can to encourage, upskill and train for people to come on to voluntary boards. I have been involved in voluntary boards for close to 30 years. It is becoming harder and harder to encourage people. A lot of the regulation and governance, which is extremely important, sometimes can overwhelm them, put them off and even frighten them a little. It is critically important that we provide that funding for people, particularly those who have come into Ireland from the migrant communities, to encourage them to get involved with the boards. I welcome the funding.
