National Volunteering Strategy: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-24 ============================================================ Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central Ar dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas le gach Ball an tSeanaid a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht, a raibh a lán fuinnimh inti. I thank Members for their participation. I never thought we would hear Churchill, Gandhi and Muhammad Ali quoted in the Seanad in the same night. I am impressed. The contributions by everybody were fantastic, I thank all the Members. It shows the importance of all of us in this Chamber being of the community, volunteering, understanding and recognising that volunteering is the cornerstone of our society. We know that it is a critical part of our Irish life. I have heard the contributions. For me it is about fostering community, the spirit, cohesion, the fun and the joy we see in the bringing of change and the building of a community built upon people with people at the heart of what we do. I heard Senator Scahill speaking about the volunteer holding communities together. Senator Collins will be remembered because she said they are real people. Indeed they are. We are all real people. It takes an effort to volunteer. It takes time to do what everyone in this Chamber does because the contribution we make resonates and has an impact. The people who volunteer motivate and bring people with them. Senator Noonan mentioned Susie Long. We remember her today. It was her voice that built change. Equally, our communities are built upon that person, as I say, an gnáthdhuine, making the commitment and creating a vibrant community that is inclusive and builds upon best practice internationally. It is also about where we want to live and what it says about us. We can talk about the economic, cultural and societal benefits. It is measured every week when the kids speak about going to GAA matches. I am not sure the under-sixes are more difficult than being in the Seanad. The Cathaoirleach probably has an easier job now, managing you guys maybe. It is about bringing the history, the heritage, the arts of which Members spoke, education, sport and health all into policy. Equally, it is as Senator Noonan said the love of volunteering as we look to the future. It is about the best supports, the infrastructure and the scaffolding we put in place in working with our volunteers and volunteer bodies to ensure they continue to grow and prosper in order that we can have a regeneration. I am struck by what Senator Cosgrove said about that volunteer group. The whole youth sector is one we can look at again to see how we can get those young people to continue to be a voice. People say that young people are too young. They are not actually, because they bring the lived experience as the generation that had a Covid experience that we can learn from in how we can ensure that piece around volunteering feeds into the new strategy. Senator Flaherty spoke about the volunteering day here in this House. The Cathaoirleach and Ceann Comhairle could perhaps work with us on how we could celebrate that piece. I am open to that because it is about collaboration. As part of the outgoing strategy there is immense pride in volunteering. At its core the strategy was about fostering, promoting and enhancing that culture of volunteering. It is also in the programme for Government commitments. Tonight is an example of that consultative process that I spoke about earlier, on what we have done around the country. I thank the officials in my Department who are very much of themselves of our communities, living, volunteering, inspiring and being inspired. For me as a Minister it is about ensuring we hear the voices that are reflected tonight in this Chamber in the development of the new strategy. It is built upon sharing that collaborative approach to co-operation that the first strategy had. I will reflect upon the debate here tonight and if you think about it, dependent on volunteers as we have said, the future is about bringing and nurturing the community and the grassroot volunteers in terms of the sustainable development goals. It also is about the focus Senator Collins spoke about in terms of the structural basis. Senator Maria Byrne had a key point about respect and that we respect the people who give of themselves and who participate because it enhances and strengthens our communities. The new strategy is at a seminal point in our society and in our world emerging from Covid-19 at a more difficult time for people. We are told that volunteering is declining in some places. We have to get under the bonnet and see why and help people. Senator O'Loughlin spoke about the sense of belonging that reinforces our need to volunteer. I agree with Senator Tully in terms of PPNs. On the issue raised about the volunteer activation fund, it is under the auspices of the Department of Youth and Children and its Minister, Deputy Foley. I will raise that with her. For me as a Minister and as a volunteer all my life, we need to have a volunteering strategy. However, we are in a great position to harness the opportunities of people, built upon the first strategy. Our strategy is among the most comprehensive in Europe or even the world in terms of the policies but also the dedication that it has to the development and the celebration of volunteering across the country. I hate using the word "infrastructure" because it sounds awful but Senators know what I mean by the supports and the encouragement. I want to finish on the governance piece. Our network centres of Volunteer Ireland are phenomenal at what they do. There was a commitment from Government to match that. I finish by making reference to the burden and I hear the remarks of Members in that regard. I am a volunteer and now, as a Minister of State, I am wearing a different hat. I hear the Members and it has been articulated by them and others in terms of the balance between governance, responsibility and - not being cavalier about it - abandoning everything to make it. They are right in what they say about bureaucracy and the volunteer-led approach. We cannot burden people. I am glad that Senator Collins is big into fundraising. However, if we burden people with bureaucracy, they will run. That is what we cannot do. I would love to go with Senator Scahill on a Friday night selling the lotto tickets. I would say it should be some fun. --- 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