Summary of ideas submitted in the Social and voluntary category…

• Stop those who are cheating the social welfare system.
• Subsidised specialists for special needs children.
• Swap unwanted goods.
• Tag alcoholic drinks containers.
• Tax the lotto.
• The Government should not enforce a “use it or lose it” stance on funding when it comes to the community and voluntary sector.
• The Job Seekers Union as a lobby group and self-help group.
• Think Tank days.
• Third level fees: voluntary work in lieu of portion of fees.
• Through close cooperation between designated voluntary organisations and local social welfare offices, suitably qualified unemployed people could be offered employment with a voluntary group.
• Total reform of social benefits in Ireland.
• Transition Year students to teach IT skills to older members in their area.
• Turn hotels into respite homes.
• Two-tier dole system. Currently a single person gets just over €200. Would it be good to offer a second level for people who are willing to help out in the community in some way?
• Type of government loan scheme. When recipients return to work, €10 could be deducted (weekly) for each week that the recipient was making a claim.
• Unemployed builders should help build and maintain schools.
• Unemployed give back to the community.
• Use existing voluntary organisations to collect unwanted disability equipment from homes.
• Use graduates of Early Childhood Education/primary school teachers/FETAC qualified childcare grads to work part time particularly in disadvantaged areas, in exchange for good work experience and dole money to educate parents about child development.
• Use idle school buses to transport willing people to areas that have been littered.
• Use school infrastructure to its full potential.
• Use Skype and netbooks to monitor the elderly and reduce loneliness.
• Use unsold developments as social housing.
• Utilise the social capital that has been built up in each local area.
• Vanity plates for vehicles.
• Various groups - Ireland’s Tidy Towns groups; Muintir na Tire groups; state funded “voluntary” agencies such as CDPs; community councils; faith community councils - individually and collectively to evolve into Ireland’s Transition Towns Groups.
• Voluntary bodies should teach government about good management.
• Voluntary employment plan.
• Voluntary organisations should be given the access to the time and services of qualified people on the dole to carry out work that would benefit the communities they serve.
• Voluntary sector to promote “We can do” attitude.