National Volunteering Strategy: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-24 ============================================================ Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel The Minister of State bounced in here with his usual boundless energy and enthusiasm. It is great to see somebody who really is genuinely passionate about the role they serve. I know he does that in the community element and, of course, around rural transport. The two are also interlinked. That viability and connectivity, particularly in rural communities, is hugely important. Senator Scahill quoted Churchill whom I always like to hear being quoted but I will mention another one attributed to him which is equally fitting: "We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give." My life has been very much enriched by volunteering. The one negative about political life is that it takes you away from the volunteering that got you there in the first place. When I look back on my own volunteering with Special Olympics Ireland, sports, Samaritans and local festivals, I know I learned an awful lot. It is to my regret that political life can narrow the volunteering we do. Two weeks ago, I met Paula Conlon at the Barretstown camp. They are just starting a new volunteer initiative there working with families of children who have life-limiting health complications. In their volunteer programme, you can volunteer for as little or as much time as you have. The commitment I made was that I would definitely spend at least one weekend there during the summer. I know I benefit as a person when I have that opportunity. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said "the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." We all learn an awful lot from it. The Minister of State mentioned he was in Kildare. We were delighted to have him. It was a huge acknowledgement and appreciation of all the volunteers who were there. We are lucky to have one of the 29 volunteer centres in Kildare. David, John, Michelle and the rest of the team do an incredible job of matching volunteers with volunteer opportunities. They were there prior to Covid-19 but the experience during Covid-19 has really added to that sense of belonging. They have far more volunteers since Covid-19 when as a nation we sent out that request for people to get involved in their own communities. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for what they are doing to recognise the essential work being carried out by volunteers and voluntary organisations in our communities because there is absolutely no doubt that type of work enhances communities where we live and it strengthens our resilience and enhances social cohesion. That also includes our new Irish. When he was in Kildare, the Minister of State met people from Helping Irish Hosts who have done incredible work to help Irish families open their homes and hearts to Ukrainians who came to Ireland. We acknowledge that it is four years today since the war of aggression started. They are looking at ways how that scheme can be expanded to help others. I really appreciate that he said he will meet them. It was important that the first strategy to recognise to support and promote the unique contribution of volunteers to society. The strategy consisted of five high-level objectives and 56 associated actions, which is what helped bring us to where we are. With regard to the recommendations to increase participation, people in the home or who are retired have so much to give and offer. That is also true of the new Irish. In Newbridge I have seen that particularly in the Tidy Towns group where they have got involved. It is a wonderful way of making new friends and making a difference in the community in which we live. The objective to facilitate, develop and support the volunteering environment is also important. Apart from the time and the part of ourselves we want to give to the particular different charities, causes or community groups, there is an element of work and red tape to volunteering. Senator Cosgrove also mentioned that. The Government is looking for suggestions. Recruitment is important and it is important to do that through education, including transition year and even at primary school level through children getting involved in community gardens where there is that intergenerational piece and working with day care centres for something that can help all of us. There is also the questions of training, appreciation and fast-track vetting and grant writing. We need places for volunteers to meet and to gather. I would like to give a big shout out to all those involved in animal rescue, meals on wheels, day care centres, etc. I will finish on a quote from Muhammad Ali: "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." I thank the Minister of State for being here. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. 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