March 25, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
Reflections on “Green Paper on the Community and Voluntary Sector and its Relationship with the State,” by Eoin O’Sullivan, analyzes a recent discussion paper that attempted to define the role of voluntary organizations in shaping welfare policies in the Republic of Ireland. Mr. O’Sullivan, a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Dublin, Trinity College, summarizes the “green paper,” which called for more participation in voluntary groups. Mr. O’Sullivan argues that the “green paper” never made clear how this goal was to be attained. He traces the history of welfare services as they have been operated by voluntary organizations — most notably the Roman Catholic Church, from the time Ireland became a free state in 1922 — and suggests that the most effective approach will be one in which voluntary organizations fulfill service agreements as outlined by the government. Publisher: Program on Non-Profit Organizations, Yale University, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, Conn. 06511; (203) 432-6297; fax (203) 432-6591; e-mail ponpo@yale.edu; World-Wide Web http://www.yale.edu/divinity/ponpo; 37 pages; $4.50; ask for Working Paper No. 252.
