THE WHEEL ANNUAL REVIEW 2008

6 REPRESENTATION
In furthering our core goal to improve the legal, political and operational environment for the
community and voluntary sector, The Wheel advocates for progress on the cross-cutting issues that
relate to the development of the sector (arguing, for example, for secure funding, sensitive
regulation and a comprehensive support infrastructure for the sector).
Our overarching objective is to ensure the development of a coherent policy framework for
community and voluntary activity in Ireland, and The Wheel works closely with our member
organisations and holds regular workshops at which members have an opportunity to contribute
to policy development.
The Wheel is a member of the Community and Voluntary Pillar in the national social partnership
process and we were centrally involved in ensuring that there is a dedicated section of the national
agreement Towards 2016 that addresses core developmental issues facing the sector. Section 34
of the Towards 2016 contains a range of commitments relating to the development of the sector
and we work to maintain a focus on delivering these commitments. These include commitments to:
• maximise the contribution of the community and voluntary sector by deepening the
partnership between statutory bodies and voluntary and community organisations.
• take account of the work of Task Force on Active Citizenship to develop future policy
to engage citizens and develop voluntary organsiations.
• enact the charities regulation bill and provide additional resources to assist the sector
in the transition to regulation.
• further develop policy to support volunteering.
• appropriately resource the sector into the future.
• the principle of providing multi-annual statutory funding.
We introduced a twice-yearly Policy Forum and published and distributed a Policy Updater paper
in 2008 to provide structured opportunities for our members to participate in our policy
development processes. Policy Updater is published twice yearly and widely distributed in the
sector.
We also participate in a consortium with other charities to research ‘public attitudes towards
charities’. The first wave of the research was completed at the end of 2008, with initial results
becoming available early in 2009. A total of three waves of research will be conducted annually,
helping substantially to inform our strategy in this area.
6.1 SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP
Early in 2008 The Wheel worked closely with colleagues in the Community and Voluntary Pillar and
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (CRGA) officials on a formal review of the
Social Partnership national agreement, Towards 2016.
One of our primary goals for this review was to begin to develop a new agreement for partnership
working (Comhaontú) between the sector and the state. In September, the review of Towards
2016 was published and the Government committed to "engage with the Community and
Voluntary pillar on how to progress development of future frameworks to support the deepening
of the partnership between statutory bodies and voluntary and community organsiations". The
Wheel will be continuing to work to ensure that the sector is provided with a coherent policy
framework to support the sector, underpinned by a new agreement for partnership working.
Although the current economic crisis may have far-reaching implications for our sector in many
areas, The Wheel will continue our efforts to develop the best possible relationship between the
state and the sector.
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