There has been much concern recently about the fall in the number of those willing to come forward to participate in the voluntary sector.
Such is the concern at Government level that the Taoiseach last year took up the theme of building social capital and announced a taskforce to look at ways of encouraging more people to become involved in what has been termed "active citizenship". President Mary McAleese has also warned about Irish society losing one of its great attributes.
The sense that people are now too busy - and even too affluent - to give support to local community efforts sometimes seems to prevail. The image of commuters spending many hours getting to and from workplaces that are now farther and farther from their homes and parents coping with the frustration of having less and less family time, is one that suggests a generation that is unable to make the commitments that their parents and grandparents gave to their local communities.
However, the Living Dublin Awards, presented yesterday, contradict the notion that volunteerism and service to the wider community are values of the past. A wide range of groups were recognised for the work they are doing to enhance the social fabric and wellbeing of communities in Dublin city and county; a true altruistic spirit is everywhere evident in the activities of the many groups involved.
From the provision of assistance to those with disabilities, raising awareness of the importance and advantage of further education, to the work of the Ruhama group which for many years has been helping women who have fallen into the trap of prostitution, many of the examples provided by the winners of this year's awards and the recipients of commendations, demonstrate that civic engagement is not totally gone.
Those at yesterday's event represent only a fraction of the many who generously give their time and talents to this kind of work; those who run sports and youth clubs, and offer their services to voluntary organisations and as community leaders, generally do so with no intention of seeking either reward or recognition. Very often this work is being carried out in difficult circumstances, in some of the more socially disadvantaged areas and with little or no official support.
If the Government is seriously concerned about the diminishing support for the voluntary sector, it must do what it can to foster and facilitate greater involvement. And, as the Living Dublin Awards demonstrated, the corporate and business sector must fulfil its social responsibility in the matter too.