Citizens urged to devote 1% of time to volunteering

IRISH people should devote two hours a week to volunteering work in their community, a new advisory group has recommended.

The report of the Task Force on Active Citizenship has made a number of key recommendations on how Irish people can increase their involvement in civic, community, sporting and youth organisations.

The key proposals of the group — which is chaired by the former head of the Special Olympics, Mary Davis — includes the creation of a National Presidential Citizen Aware programme, a formal citizenship ceremony for new Irish citizens.