To put my role and the role of VSO in context, (in short) we are lobbying to convince the Ugandan Government to adopt a formal strategy on volunteering in the country and to put in place a legal framework to protect and promote volunteering. This is something that has already happened in countries like Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique and is currently happening in Tanzania. The importance of such a development is critical for a number of reasons. Many volunteers in Uganda are exploited and essentially used as slave labour. This is something that gives volunteering a bad name and turns off potential volunteers. Additionally, the labour laws in Uganda actually seem to punish volunteering. If a Ugandan national volunteers his or her time in a hospital or school, for a certain number of hours a week, they are considered to be employees and therefore fall within the terms of the Employment Act. This means that they must be paid the minimum wage and avail of all of the usual benefits. This of course defeats the purpose of volunteering. Hospitals and other institutions are forced to give up essential volunteers because they cannot afford to keep them on.

Another important issue is youth unemployment. Currently 470,000 young people are graduating from second or third level education according to the Ugandan Government. Of these only about 70,000 can secure jobs. The rest of these bright young people are destitute, frustrated and without hope. A concerted and strategic approach by the Government could see thousands and thousands of these young people placed with NGOs, public bodies and corporate entities in a formal volunteering capacity for a period of time after graduation. Such a programme could lead to the development of new skills, the acquirement of much needed experience for job seekers and could assist young people in preparing for future employment. This would foster a greater sense of self-confidence in young Ugandans, develop a sense of optimism and hope and would contribute enormously to the local community and the local economy.

Over my twelve day period in Kampala, I will be meeting with NGOs who benefit from volunteering to hear their experience. Many of these are members of NAVE (National Alliance for Volunteering Efforts) an umbrella body set up in 2008 to coordinate the agenda of these organisations. I will meet with donors such as JICA, (the Japan International Cooperation Agency), Irish Aid and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in order to impress upon them the need to factor in the volunteering agenda in all of their discussions and meetings with the various Government Ministries. I will also meet with the Minister and officials in the Department of Gender, Labour and Social Affairs as this is considered to be the key Department in the quest to advance the notion of a national strategy for volunteering.

Lucinda appeared on TV3 news with Sam Smyth today. Topics discussed include the fate of small parties such as the Greens and the PDs when they go into coalition with larger parties like Fianna Fáil.

Lucinda Creighton TD, Dublin South East, today called on the CIE to set up a fund to benefit the inner city communities who will be most affected by the construction of the Dart Underground system. In her submission to An Bord Pleanala she called on CIE to follow the example of the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company and fund cultural, social and sporting projects in the area.

She stated: “The residents in the Boyne St and Sandwith St area face many years of disruption and nuisance during the construction of a station here. Everything possible must be done to minimise this disruption.

“If development goes ahead as planned, the least that CIE can do would be to set up a fund of an adequate amount of money for the local community. This fund could be managed by a board consisting of local residents, elected representatives and representatives of CIE, and could be put towards providing social, cultural and sporting facilities in the immediate area of the development at Pearse Station. This would be a simple way of ensuring that some benefit would accrue to the local community during what will be a difficult time for them.

“A similar community fund has been set up by the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company, and it has disbursed funds to a range of projects, from whiteboards for a national school to summer outings for active retirement groups. While a community fund cannot fully compensate residents for the disruption, it would be a positive step by CIE to ensure that they maintain good relations with their inner city neighbours.”

Lucinda has made a submission to An Bord Pleanála with her concerns over the plans for the DART Underground system, and their impact on the residents of Dublin South East:

9 August 2010

Re: Application for a railway order by Coras Iompair Eireann for an underground electrified heavy railway from Inchicore to East Wall, Dublin (Dart Underground)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to make some observations on the proposal to construct an underground Dart line from Inchicore to East Wall. I enclose a cheque for €50.

Overall, I am in favour of increased public transport in the city centre, and especially projects which join the current infrastructure. While I have issues with the cost of this project, I am broadly in favour of it. By investing in the city we can provide for its long term development.

Such a major infrastructure project will however have serious effects on the city and its inhabitants, and all efforts must be made to prevent the works from degrading the quality of life of residents. Read the rest of this entry »

An application was re-submitted in July for the development of the St. Louis’ Convent and High School site in Rathmines. I have serious concerns about the size and scale of the development, the effect it would have on neighbouring properties and traffic in the area, and the loss of green space, and I have objected to the development on this basis:

20 July 2010

Re: Planning Application 3037/10 St Louis High School and Charleville House, Charleville Road, and 1 Grosvenor Road, Rathmines

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to make an observation on application ref 3037/10, for development at St. Louis convent and school in Rathmines, Dublin 6.

At the outset I would like to make clear my understanding of the need of the St. Louis community of nuns to make provision for their own future, and I appreciate the contribution that they have made and will continue to make to the educational needs of the Dublin 6 area. Read the rest of this entry »