How CSR is being perceived by the Irish government?
In Ireland, the debate about CSR is quite new. The government clearly identifies CSR as a business issue and supports a voluntary approach to CSR as long as minimum standards of compliance are applied. There are various government departments that have a responsibility for CSR, led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment. For the moment the government’s role in this area has been to monitor the implementation of CSR and support specific initiatives such as the sponsorship of CSR awards. At Business in the Community Ireland we believe that there is a role for the government to play in promoting and encouraging businesses to adopt socially and environmentally responsible practices. We feel that government should also be a leader in this area, showing a positive example through its procurement practices as well as environmental and employment practices, as any large organisation. We would also like to see the government support small and medium sized enterprises implement CSR