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Home About Us Members Press Centre Publications Taskforce Events Contact Details Accessibility Statement	Taoiseach appoints Task Force on Active Citizenship Announcing the membership of the Task Force on Active Citizenship today, the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D., said "Last week, in the context of discussing the legacy of the 1916 Rising, I pointed out that Ireland has a deep tradition of active engagement by its citizens in every aspect of our national life and culture. During decades when the capacity of the State was limited by a lack of resources, it was the commitment of the Irish people that so often, formally and informally, provided social services, community leadership as well as a sporting and cultural life for our people. Today, when the scarcest resource of all is time, this role of active participation is being devolved to fewer and fewer people. In the process, we all risk being impoverished, especially those who opt out and leave the responsibilities of citizenship to others. We need to identify and understand how public policy helps and hinders active engagement. We need to identify practical steps to encourage more of our people to become involved and to stay involved in the life of their own community. I am entrusting that task to the Task Force on Active citizenship, which will be chaired by Mary Davis. In her role as Director of Special Olympics Ireland, she succeeded in generating such a tremendous response from ordinary citizens to an extraordinary experience that was Special Olympics 2003. This is one example of the type of voluntary effort and community participation, which sustains a healthy and vibrant society. I am also very pleased that we have been able to secure the participation of people with a record of achievement across a wide range of areas of public life. They will provide insights from their own contributions in many different sectors of Irish life and help the Task Force to access the full extent of experience in their own fields of expertise on what shapes citizen participation and involvement". The list of those invited by the Taoiseach to serve on the Task Force and its terms of reference are: Membership Ms. Mary Davis, Chief Executive, Special Olympics Ireland (Chairperson) Mr. David Begg, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions Mr. John Bennett, Disability Officer, University College, Dublin Fr. Harry Bohan, Diocese of Killaloe and Céifin Centre for Values-led Change Ms. Elaine Bradshaw, Chair, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful Committee Ms. Caroline Casey, Chief Executive, The Aisling Foundation Ms. Mary Cunningham, Director, National Youth Council of Ireland Mr. Arthur Duignan, Assistant Director, CREATE Cllr. John Gallahue, Governing Body, Limerick Institute of Technology Mr. Gerry Kearney, Secretary General, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Mr. Sean Kelly, Outgoing President, GAA Ms. Maighréad Uí Mháirtín, Cathaoirleach, Foras na Gaeilge Mr. Seamus McAleavey, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action Mr. Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach Sr. Bernadette McMahon, Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice Ms. Sylvia Meehan, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament Mr. Bobby Molloy, former TD and Minister The Venerable David Pierpoint, Archdeacon of Dublin Dr. Mary Redmond, Arthur Cox and Co-founder, The Wheel Mr. John Trethowan, Business in the Community Ireland Terms of reference: review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational life in Ireland; examine those trends in the context of international experience and analysis; review the experience of organisations involved in the political, caring, community, professional and occupational, cultural, sporting and religious dimensions of Irish life regarding influences, both positive and negative, on levels of citizen participation and engagement; and recommend measures which could be taken as part of public policy to facilitate and encourage (i) a greater degree of engagement by citizens in all aspects of Irish life and (ii) the growth and development of voluntary organisations as part of a strong civic culture. Ends	Search: Printer Friendly Version Email a Friend Useful Links

Taoiseach appoints Task Force on Active Citizenship

Announcing the membership of the Task Force on Active Citizenship today, the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D., said "Last week, in the context of discussing the legacy of the 1916 Rising, I pointed out that Ireland has a deep tradition of active engagement by its citizens in every aspect of our national life and culture. During decades when the capacity of the State was limited by a lack of resources, it was the commitment of the Irish people that so often, formally and informally, provided social services, community leadership as well as a sporting and cultural life for our people.

Today, when the scarcest resource of all is time, this role of active participation is being devolved to fewer and fewer people. In the process, we all risk being impoverished, especially those who opt out and leave the responsibilities of citizenship to others.

We need to identify and understand how public policy helps and hinders active engagement. We need to identify practical steps to encourage more of our people to become involved and to stay involved in the life of their own community.

I am entrusting that task to the Task Force on Active citizenship, which will be chaired by Mary Davis. In her role as Director of Special Olympics Ireland, she succeeded in generating such a tremendous response from ordinary citizens to an extraordinary experience that was Special Olympics 2003. This is one example of the type of voluntary effort and community participation, which sustains a healthy and vibrant society.

I am also very pleased that we have been able to secure the participation of people with a record of achievement across a wide range of areas of public life. They will provide insights from their own contributions in many different sectors of Irish life and help the Task Force to access the full extent of experience in their own fields of expertise on what shapes citizen participation and involvement".

The list of those invited by the Taoiseach to serve on the Task Force and its terms of reference are:

Membership

Ms. Mary Davis, Chief Executive, Special Olympics Ireland (Chairperson)
Mr. David Begg, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Mr. John Bennett, Disability Officer, University College, Dublin
Fr. Harry Bohan, Diocese of Killaloe and Céifin Centre for Values-led Change
Ms. Elaine Bradshaw, Chair, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful Committee
Ms. Caroline Casey, Chief Executive, The Aisling Foundation
Ms. Mary Cunningham, Director, National Youth Council of Ireland
Mr. Arthur Duignan, Assistant Director, CREATE
Cllr. John Gallahue, Governing Body, Limerick Institute of Technology
Mr. Gerry Kearney, Secretary General, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Mr. Sean Kelly, Outgoing President, GAA
Ms. Maighréad Uí Mháirtín, Cathaoirleach, Foras na Gaeilge
Mr. Seamus McAleavey, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action
Mr. Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach
Sr. Bernadette McMahon, Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice
Ms. Sylvia Meehan, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament
Mr. Bobby Molloy, former TD and Minister
The Venerable David Pierpoint, Archdeacon of Dublin
Dr. Mary Redmond, Arthur Cox and Co-founder, The Wheel
Mr. John Trethowan, Business in the Community Ireland

Terms of reference:

review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational life in Ireland;
examine those trends in the context of international experience and analysis;
review the experience of organisations involved in the political, caring, community, professional and occupational, cultural, sporting and religious dimensions of Irish life regarding influences, both positive and negative, on levels of citizen participation and engagement; and
recommend measures which could be taken as part of public policy to facilitate and encourage (i) a greater degree of engagement by citizens in all aspects of Irish life and (ii) the growth and development of voluntary organisations as part of a strong civic culture.

Ends