In April 2005 the Board of the National Federation decided to establish a Volunteering Sub-Committee to plan and prioritise responses to the volunteering needs identified by member organisations and to inform the Board of Directors of the National Federation on priority issues, key challenges and recommendations in respect of volunteering at local and national level. One of the underlying aims of the National Federation Volunteering Sub-Committee was to establish and collate reliable data on volunteering within its member organisations and in 2006 the sub-committee guided the development of a National Federation volunteering survey. This was the first national study on volunteering to be conducted within intellectual disability services in Ireland.
The survey findings have now been published in a document entitled "Volunteering in Intellectual Disability Services in Ireland - Supporting People to Live the Life of their own Choice in their own Community". They were launched in Mallow, Co. Cork on Monday 6th October by Minister Pat Carey, TD., Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach.
Speech by Minister Pat Carey at the launch in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, Co. Cork, Monday 6th October 2008 at 7:00pm -www.taoiseach.gov.ie
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to begin by saying how delighted I am to be here with you at the Launch of the findings of the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies study ‘Volunteering in Intellectual Disability Services in Ireland – Supporting people to live the life of their own choice in their own community’. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Brian O’Donnell for giving me the opportunity to speak to you all here this evening and I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that has obviously gone into the production of the report – it is a credit to everybody involved.
The production of the report is just one aspect of the work being done by the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies and I note from the report that member organisations provide services to 22,000 people with intellectual disability. As Government Chief Whip and Minister of State with special responsibility for Active Citizenship, I am impressed by the assistance you provide in promoting the equalisation of opportunities for people with intellectual disability. The Government is fully committed to the goal of a society where people with disabilities have, to the greatest extent possible, the opportunity to live a full life with their families and as part of their local community, free from discrimination.
Earlier this year, Government established the Office for Disability and Mental Health, to bring greater cohesion to the development and implementation of policy in the areas of disability across Government. A key focus of the Office will be to support the implementation of the Health Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act. In particular, it will facilitate the delivery of integrated health and education support services for children with special needs. The Office will also support the development of training and employment support services for people with a disability.
We all recognise that volunteering plays an important part in active citizenship and social inclusion, through strengthening our local communities, in particular enhancing the community involvement of people with intellectual disabilities and facilitating their involvement in mainstream activities. Volunteers also have a vital role to play in breaking down barriers and enabling awareness, working to reduce and minimize the levels of social exclusion and isolation that might be experienced by people with intellectual disability. The Taskforce on Active Citizenship recognised the vital contribution being made by volunteers. It also considered issues such as how capacity development amongst community organisations could support voluntary activity, how the establishment of Volunteer Centres in each county could be facilitated, perhaps working with other local structures, business organisations and Local Authorities to maximize their impact, and how community and voluntary organisations can be encouraged to reach out and engage with all sectors of society.
I am very pleased to be able to tell you all that considerable progress has been made on a number of fronts in recent months. The Higher Education Authority has encouraged institutions to consider how they might contribute to a greater sense of active citizenship and contribute to the surrounding community as part of its applications process to the Strategic Innovation Fund for Universities and Institutes of Technology. Significant work is underway in NUIG where there is direct support for a national collaborative programme titled, ‘Civic Engagement, Student Volunteering and Active Citizenship’. A new national programme has been devised called ‘Campus Engage’ to harness and promote civic engagement activities within higher education institutions in Ireland. The founding institutions include the University of Limerick, National University of Ireland Maynooth, University College Dublin, and Dublin City University.
An audit of community facilities is underway and will be completed by end year. A Green Paper on Local Government Reform was published earlier this year and a study is now being carried out to assess the implications of establishing an Independent Electoral Commission. Preparations are also underway to bring the Civil, Social Political Education (CSPE) Programme in schools to senior level. The Government is allocating far in excess of €30 million annually to support the community and voluntary sectors in Ireland. These are just a sample of the responses so far to the recommendations of the Taskforce.
I have also met with representatives from a range of groups from the community and voluntary sector recently and I can assure you that the Government will continue to build on existing initiatives to further enhance and strengthen the relationships between the Government and community and voluntary organisations.
In the course of my involvement with the Active Citizenship initiative, I have often been asked what does Active Citizenship mean to people in 21st century Ireland. There is a perception among some that we have become lazy and insular, unwilling to become involved in activities that don’t impact upon us directly, and to them I say that Active Citizenship is about engagement, participation in society and having a sense of responsibility to others as well as ourselves, shared values and pride in our local communities. It is about giving something back – shortly before his recent passing, the actor Paul Newman was asked why he continued to devote so much of his energy to the Barretstown Camp he established and he replied that had been lucky throughout his life and that he wanted to give something back to those that had been less lucky and less fortunate than himself. That to me is a perfect expression of what it means to be an Active Citizen.
That relates directly to the reason why volunteering is so vitally important – it is about giving something back. It is about giving a helping hand to those less fortunate than ourselves. It has been said that as social creatures, our greatest human impulse is that instinctual desire to connect with others, either to make a connection of friendship or to help another, to want to make a difference in someone else’s life. Volunteers make a very significant contribution to society by giving of their time for the benefit of others without seeking any form of payment or monetary reward.
In Ireland we have a long and proud tradition in giving something back. In our own inner cities and in rural areas we have always had a very strong community spirit. Even when people moved away from their places of birth, they maintained that spirit. Dublin has played host over the years to associations for Clare people and of course to Kerry people. Our Irish Communities in Britain and the United States are a shining example of Irish people helping their countrymen and women. At no time is this more evident than around the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day and the number of people who come together to celebrate their heritage.
Active Citizenship is therefore not a new concept. In the initiative by the Government for which I have special responsibility to direct we are seeking to strengthen and deepen civic engagement in the Ireland of the 21st century. The Taskforce recommendations are realistic and apply to all sectors of society. We need to remind our well educated young people that they have a role in preserving our democracy, by voting, partaking in public office either locally or nationally and giving of their time and expertise to help those who have been less fortunate. I am heartened in this regard by the great work being done by our second and third level students.
We all appreciate that we are now in a difficult economic climate but we will encourage our business community to continue the high level of corporate social responsibility they have demonstrated up to now. For our part, in Government we will seek to align our public policy to accord with the recommendations of the Taskforce as resources permit.
All of you here tonight are maintaining that long and proud tradition of supporting others. It brings its rewards in a sense of personal achievement in seeing those you support reaching their full potential. I wish you continued success and I commend your achievements.
Thank You
A copy of "Volunteering in Intellectual Disability Services in Ireland – Supporting people to live the life of their own choice in their own community" can be downloaded here.
If you would like to volunteer with one of our member organisations around the country, go to our members section contact details of services within your local area.