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Summary of ideas submitted in the Social and voluntary category…

• 1800 freephone system of help in the community.
• A Big Issues magazine distribution point in every FAS and dole office throughout the country.
• A desk at every social welfare office where people can go before or after collecting their benefit and get a couple of hours/day work as a volunteer for their local community.
• A good way to motivate people is to get them involved in some charitable project,
• A little over unemployment benefit be paid to people who could literally help to clean up our image.
• A scheme, run through existing community centres, health centres, parish halls etc where recently unemployed professionals could offer their skills for free to other professionals in the same position.
• A tax credit, mortgage relief, or supplemental income for women who stay at home to look after their children (perhaps up until the child reaches the age of five). This would free up a lot more jobs in hard pressed industries.
• A website where individuals could offer their services.
• Abolish VAT on purchases by registered charities or allow them to reclaim VAT. Allow rebates on all charitable donations to registered charities and not just those over €250 per year.
• All children living in Ireland under the age of six should have a medical card.
• All employed people agree to work 30 minutes extra without pay daily (150 minutes weekly)
• Allotments should be more widely available for public use.
• Allow schools to be used as civic centres.
• Amount of dole payment linked to community work.
• Anti-litter campaign.
• Barter skills.
• Bartering of ideas.
• Be civil and mannerly to each other in a more open and constructive way during our daily business.
• Before / after school childminding in national schools.
• Book exchange club.
• Build skate parks.
• Buy the vacant houses currently for sale at a reduced rate.
• Cardiac patients to deliver flyers/promotional material as their daily light exercise.
• Career breaks and volunteering overseas on suitable development projects.
• Change the early childcare supplement to a tax credit just like the MED1/MED2.
• Childcare co-op.
• Clean Country Pride of Ireland campaign to work alongside the Tidy Towns campaign.
• Community Army - people out of work to be paid nominal wage.
• Community groups offering counselling services by volunteers.
• Community LETS schemes, where one can barter skills.
• Companies and organisations should be incentivised to engage their workers in voluntary work.
• Co-ordinator should be employed to organise a network of volunteering in ways that will make up for the gaps in the economy.
• Councils should allow the residents to use open spaces for allotments, market gardens.
• Create a forum whereby you can sign up to give classes/tutoring.
• Create a support network for the recently redundant and unemployed.