National Volunteering Strategy: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-24
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Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central

Is cúis áthais dom a bheith i láthair sa Seanad inniu. I am delighted to be here to speak on our national volunteering strategy and the importance of volunteering across Irish society. As members know, it is part of who we are. It denotes us and sets us apart. It is woven into the tapestry of our communities, our culture and our sense of identity going back to Kickham and the whole piece around the GAA. From the GAA to the parish hall, from community gardens to climate action to people living in Ireland, we have always understood that a strong society is built not just by government or policy but by the people who look out for one another. Deonachas, volunteerism, is everywhere in our community and our society. Some people will question whether it is there or not but it is of course as we all give of our time. I commend all those who volunteer every day and every week in our society because whether we lend a hand at a community event, at a match, as part of a parents' association in school or even in our places of worship, our churches, we are volunteering. Each act of volunteerism makes life better and enriches and empowers our society.
I had the pleasure of being in Kildare with Senator O'Loughlin recently where we launched the Kildare volunteer strategy. That is a very good example of a really good event and a wonderful group of people enhancing the lives of the people in County Kildare. Statistics indicate that 1.1 million people are volunteers. To be honest, I believe it is higher than that. We see people i ngach áit ar fud na tíre ag tabhairt ama, giving time, effort, expertise and compassion. In today's modern Ireland, it is in Tidy Towns and our arts and cultural organisations. I saw it as part of the movement on the marriage equality referendum. We saw it in Kildare with the animal rescue.
On environmental advocacy, Senator Noonan knows about the circular economy and climate change. Our first responders and community responders, sports clubs and search and rescue show that people of all ages come together to volunteer and give of themselves. They are not looking for a reward or accolades, but want to support an event, organisation or charity. As we know, we cannot measure volunteering because it is priceless. The gift is unbelievable because it changes people's lives. It keeps our communities safe, unified, resilient and compassionate and also provides hope.
As a Minister of State, I am much more aware now than I was before of the huge impact volunteering creates in all aspects of Irish life. As a Government, we recognise the unique value and contribution of our volunteers to society. As I said, it is an intrinsic part of the fabric of our lives. Volunteering not only benefits communities and wider society, but also improves the health and everyday lives of the volunteers. Volunteering connects people to their communities, reduces isolation, which is a challenge we have to overcome as a country, allows people to learn new skills and enables them to get involved in causes they care about. Volunteering affords an opportunity for people to build on their skills and employability. As I said, it provides mental and physical benefits. It increases happiness and contentment.
Understanding the important contribution of volunteers throughout Ireland, the Government launched its first national volunteering strategy in December 2020. The purpose of the five-year strategy was to recognise, support and promote the unique value and contribution of volunteers to our society. The strategy also provides an opportunity for the Government to recognise how important volunteering is to the well-being of the nation and steer the delivery of an agreed ambitious vision. The national volunteering strategy has five strategic objectives with 56 associated actions, all of which have the aim of achieving its vision of a society where volunteering is promoted, valued, facilitated and supported so that people can contribute to developing and maintaining a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable community.
The strategy is a policy framework, building on the establishment of a nationwide coverage of volunteering centres. I thank all of the staff and people involved in volunteering centres for the work they are doing. I am very familiar with Cork and want to thank Adam and his team.
The national volunteering strategy highlights not just international best practice but, from an OECD point of view, where we stand on volunteering policy. It is about a collaborative approach with stakeholders in the strategy's purpose in recognising, supporting and promoting the unique value and contribution of volunteers to society. In a couple of weeks, Daffodil Day will be an example of this. In implementing the strategy, the Department of which I am a Minister of State is working with key stakeholders to become part of the implementation group and subgroups to ensure that we deliver and are measured by our deliverables in terms of the Government supporting volunteering but also matching that with funding.
Funding will increase from €3.1 million in 2020 to €7.7 million in 2026. There will be provision of core funding for a network of volunteering centres across Ireland and Volunteer Ireland. I commend all in Volunteer Ireland, the national advocacy body. This funding shows that we are delivering. Funding is also made available each year to carry out research and projects that support the implementation of actions and the strategy.
Volunteers have helped during storms, Covid-19 and the Ukraine crisis, and today we reflect on the people of Ukraine as they embark on an anniversary we never thought we would mark and show that we are with them. When a crisis hits the first responder is a neighbour. In a variety of ways, we see the importance of volunteering. In terms of the record number of new arrivals to Ireland, the most impactful and effective integration supports were volunteer led or delivered. The Government is making additional supports available to community centres as they work with new communities to harmonise volunteering efforts.
It is about the type of Ireland we want to have. At the heart is the person with the volunteer ensuring that we never take them for granted and can never say míle buíochas enough. It is about recognising and celebrating the contribution volunteers make to our wonderful country and making our communities a better place.
Our first national volunteering strategy is drawing to a close. I am delighted that we have embarked on a second national volunteering strategy, which we have worked on in the Department. We will deliver it later this year. It will build on the successes of the first one and recognises the engagement we have had with a variety of organisations. There have been myriad engagement in the compilation of the new strategy. It recognises that we continue to deliver.
I thank Members for having a genuine willingness to listen as part of the development of the second national volunteering strategy. The Members of the Upper House are an important group. They come from their communities and bring a wealth of experience that I want to hear about. I hope the debate will be constructive. I am here to listen in a positive manner. It is great that the Chamber is having a debate on volunteering. I thank it for that. As I said, my spirit is one of listening and engagement and I hope the contributions of Senators will play a part in the next strategy. I thank the officials from my Department for being here. It is important they are here because this is an important Chamber which we must take seriously.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-24