Ireland

Paragraphs that mention volunteering

Paragraph 1, page 111

Departments of Geography/Education in Maynooth University are leading the collaboration with Tailte Éireann’s National Mapping Division, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), Esri Ireland/ArcGIS For Schools and Technological University Dublin to showcase satellites and survey data to students. 5*S: Space, Surveyors and Students – STEM and the Sustainable Development Goals is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach project that builds on two existing national school-based programmes to target a national audience. A collaboration between Esri Ireland’s award winning, ArcGIS for Schools programme and the SCSI Day in the Life recruitment programme offers the opportunity to combine a national network of volunteers with an existing data/training infrastructure.

Paragraph 2, page 141

The National Volunteering Strategy (2021 - 2025) aims to recognize, support, and promote the unique value and contribution of volunteers to Irish society. It seeks to expand and reinforce the role of volunteers while assisting Ireland's wider commitments to Sustainable Development. The Strategy acknowledges the need for further investigation and research on the role of volunteering in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both the National Volunteering Strategy and the SDGs encompass common themes of sustainability, cooperation, and inclusivity. These themes provide the foundation for the Strategy, and the SDGs are integrated into its five Strategic Objectives. Specifically, Action 55 under Strategic Objective 5 aims to provide support for all Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) in implementing and raising awareness of the SDGs over the next five years. This will be accomplished through the development of toolkits for SDG planning and implementation and by enhancing the capacity of VIOs in delivering the SDGs.
 

Paragraph 3, page 142

The Community Call played a crucial role in responding to the emerging crisis by effectively addressing the needs of people throughout the country. This initiative witnessed an unprecedented collaboration between governmental and voluntary resources, as organizations worked together to identify vulnerable individuals and provide them with various services. Initially, the focus was on ensuring the well-being of the elderly and the most vulnerable, with rapid response teams established in every county to ensure comprehensive care and support. As a result of the crisis, the relationship between the volunteering infrastructure and the local authority sector has been significantly strengthened. The response to COVID-19 highlighted the resilience of our communities and the ability of businesses to adapt and deliver services in innovative ways to meet emerging needs. This experience showcased the collective strength and adaptability of our society in times of adversity.

Paragraph 4, page 143

The Public Participation Network (PPN) is a structure that facilitates the collaboration of volunteer-led groups, aiming to provide representation for the community sector in the policymaking structures of Local Authorities. It grants local volunteers a greater voice in decisions made by local governments that directly impact their communities. Whenever community representation is required on local authority committees like Strategic Policy Committees or Local Community Development Committees, it is sourced through the PPN. In each of the 31 local authority areas, a PPN has been established. Membership in a PPN is open to all volunteer-led or not-for-profit groups within a specific local authority area. Currently, there are over 18,000 groups nationwide that are members of a PPN. While the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) provides funding and support to PPNs, these organizations are independent and develop their own initiatives. Many PPNs have integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their initiatives, and each PPN Annual Report now includes a section highlighting the local impact of PPN activities in relation to the UN SDGs. 
 

Paragraph 5, page 149

SDG Assessment 9: Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024: Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024 contributes to the progression of 15 SDG targets under SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

Paragraph 6, page 164

The Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce is actively involved in numerous national and international sustainability programs. These programs establish important connections with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the key links for each program are outlined below:The Green-Schools program adopts a student-led approach to promote learning, action, and behavior changes in various thematic areas. These include Biodiversity, Water, Marine Environment, Food, Travel, Energy, Waste, and Global Citizenship. The Green-Schools program contributes to multiple SDGs, although specific SDGs are not mentioned.
The Clean Coasts program collaborates with communities to safeguard and care for Ireland's waterways, coastline, seas, ocean, and marine life. Their efforts involve organizing hundreds of beach clean-ups annually, mobilizing thousands of volunteers to remove significant amounts of marine litter from the coastline, and promoting and facilitating coastal clean-ups and marine litter surveys. The Clean Coasts program contributes to Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
 

Paragraph 7, page 266

Comhlámh is the Irish Association of Development Workers and Volunteers. Part of our work includes creating the conditions for values-led international volunteering: with support from Irish Aid, we coordinate a good practice network of more than 30 Irish-based volunteer sending agencies that are active in the areas of international development and global citizenship... Since the last Voluntary National Review (VNR), Ireland has developed and launched the Irish National Volunteering Strategy (NVS). The strategy includes a dedicated section on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and endeavors to integrate them across its five objectives. Objective 4 specifically aims to promote ethical and skills-based international volunteering, delivering results for beneficiaries and enhancing Global Citizenship in Ireland. A global citizen is defined as someone who collaborates with others to make the world more equal, fair, and sustainable in line with the spirit of the SDGs. The launch of the Strategy, its focus on the connection between national and international volunteering, and its incorporation of the SDGs while recognizing the vital role of volunteers in their achievement align with the UN General Assembly's resolution on Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ireland has demonstrated commendable efforts in engaging national and international volunteer-involving organizations through the NVS. This has provided an opportunity for these organizations to deepen their involvement and critical reflection on issues of global inequality and injustice. They have worked to raise awareness about our interconnected planet and the potential of volunteers to envision alternative ways of functioning and existing in the world.

Paragraphs that mention the integration of volunteering into development plans, policies and strategies

Paragraph 1, page 141

The National Volunteering Strategy (2021 - 2025) [...] acknowledges the need for further investigation and research on the role of volunteering in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both the National Volunteering Strategy and the SDGs encompass common themes of sustainability, cooperation, and inclusivity. 

Paragraph 2, page 142

[...] the relationship between the volunteering infrastructure and the local authority sector has been significantly strengthened. The response to COVID-19 highlighted the resilience of our communities and the ability of businesses to adapt and deliver services in innovative ways to meet emerging needs.

Paragraph 3, page 143

Whenever community representation is required on local authority committees like Strategic Policy Committees or Local Community Development Committees, it is sourced through the PPN. In each of the 31 local authority areas, a PPN has been established. Membership in a PPN is open to all volunteer-led or not-for-profit groups within a specific local authority area. Currently, there are over 18,000 groups nationwide that are members of a PPN. While the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) provides funding and support to PPNs [...].

Paragraph 4, page 149

A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024: 'Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities' contributes to the progression of 15 SDG targets under SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

Paragraph 5, page 264

The Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce is actively involved in numerous national and international sustainability programs. These programs establish important connections with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the key links for each program are outlined below: The Green-Schools program adopts a student-led approach to promote learning, action, and behavior changes in various thematic areas.

Paragraph 6, page 266

Since the last Voluntary National Review (VNR), Ireland has developed and launched the Irish National Volunteering Strategy (NVS). The strategy includes a dedicated section on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and endeavors to integrate them across its five objectives. Objective 4 specifically aims to promote ethical and skills-based international volunteering.