Volunteering Ireland

Politician(s) lobbied: Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Minister of State), Department of Health

Intent: Volunteer Ireland made a submission to the Department of Health on Healthy Ireland Framework recommending the following: Conduct further research on the link between volunteering and wellbeing, in order to better understand and target interventions, Encourage increased collaboration between Volunteer Centres and Healthy Communities to deliver targeted projects around volunteering and wellbeing and Deliver a national communications campaign on the benefits of volunteering to wellbeing.

Methods: Submission

Politician(s) lobbied: Jerry Buttimer (Minister of State), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: Secure funding to deliver training to volunteer managers and communications around volunteering

Methods: EmailMeeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs

Intent: Recognition of volunteering in the Priorities and Policy Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

Methods: Submission

Politician(s) lobbied: Jerry Buttimer (Minister of State), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: Secure funding to deliver communications on volunteering, to raise the profile of volunteering and inspire more people to volunteer.

Methods: MeetingSubmission

Politician(s) lobbied: Bairbre Nic Aongusa (Assistant Secretary), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: The submission highlighted that many of the actions contained in the current strategy are positive but were not delivered or implemented. Cross-departmental ownership of this strategy is key to ensuring that more actions are delivered. Actions need to be more easily measurable to assess progress for all stakeholders. Actions should be clear and specific. An evaluation plan should be created at the onset of the strategy. The strategy should be adequately funded.

Methods: Submission

Politician(s) lobbied: Neale Richmond (Minister of State), Department of Foreign Affairs; Dara Calleary (Minister), Department of Rural and Community Development; Jack Chambers (Minister of State), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Jerry Buttimer (Minister of State), Department of Rural and Community Development; Paschal Donohoe (Minister), Department of Finance

Intent: Submission in advance of Budget 2026 requesting an increase in funding to Volunteer Ireland and Volunteers centres across the country; funding for the Community Volunteers Programme on a permanent basis, continue funding to support International Protection Applicants and displaced Ukrainians, funding for volunteer involving organisations to support their volunteer programmes and funding to support the international volunteer year 2026.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Jerry Buttimer (Minister of State), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: Met with Jerry Buttimer TD, Minister of State for Community Development, Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands to discuss the important role of volunteering in our communities.

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Hurley (Secretary General), Department of Rural and Community Development; Bairbre Nic Aongusa (Assistant Secretary), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: Inclusion of support for and investment in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht’s Statement of Strategy 2025 - 2028

Methods: Submission

Politician(s) lobbied: Colm Brophy (Minister of State), Department of Justice

Intent: Met with Colm Brophy TD Minister of State for Migration to discuss volunteering as a tool for migration integration and social inclusion .

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Jerry Buttimer (Minister of State), Department of Rural and Community Development

Intent: Wrote a letter to Jerry Buttimer TD Minister of State for Community Development, Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands requesting a meeting to highlight the importance of volunteering in our communities.

Methods: Letter