The Limerick Public Participation Network (PPN) Secretariat is inviting their members to nominate representatives for election to a number of Limerick City and County Council committees. These are the five Strategic Policy Committees, the Joint Policing Committee for Limerick City and County and the Limerick Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).
There are 24 seats across these committees that are currently vacant.
The Secretariat looks forward to seeing these seats occupied by community representatives as soon as possible after elections take place next.
A Public Participation Network (PPN) is an independent network that allows local authorities around the country to connect with community groups in their area to give citizens a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. The PPN is managed by a committee of volunteers called the Secretariat on behalf of all its members.
Patrick Fitzgerald, Facilitator of the Limerick PPN Secretariat said: “The PPN started afresh last year with a new Secretariat elected in late October. We have worked hard to get to this point of seeing a PPN representative sitting on the Implementation Advisory Group for the Directly Elected Mayor, 10 PPN representatives ratified this month by Limerick City and County Council to sit on three of its Strategic Policy Committees and we are now opening the process to fill the 24 other seats across seven Council committees.”
“The Limerick PPN Secretariat recently agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with Limerick City and County Council who part-funds the PPN along with the Department of Rural and Community Development. This agreement, along with our new constitution which the PPN membership approved earlier this year is helping us build the PPN as a strong and vibrant network of community voices that can engage with local government in Limerick.”
Currently the membership of Limerick PPN stands at 110 community and voluntary groups and organisations from across Limerick City and County. Eligible groups or organisations in Limerick are encouraged to register to become part of a local structure that helps citizens take an active formal role in relevant policy development and representing the PPN on various committees of the Local Authority.
Noreen Stokes, member of the Limerick PPN Secretariat, encouraged eligible groups and organisations to join the PPN. “Many committed and generous volunteers and voluntary groups have worked hard to revitalise Limerick PPN. Everyone involved would like to see the PPN expand well beyond the current membership. Now is a great time to join. All registered members have the opportunity to elect and support the new PPN representatives on the different Council committees.”
Registration for Limerick PPN is straightforward.
Go onto www.limerickppn.ie and click on the Register button.
If a group does not have access to the internet, they can contact Limerick PPN requesting a paper copy of the registration form. Contact details are Limerick PPN, Community Development Directorate, Limerick City and County Council, Merchant's Quay, Limerick V94 EH90, phone: 087 9915873 or email: ppn@limerick.ie.
To be eligible to qualify for full membership of the Limerick PPN a group/ organisation must:
- Be active and with a postal address in Limerick
- Operate on a not-for-profit basis
- Be volunteer-led (the organisation may have staff, but it must be under voluntary control)
- Be independent (i.e. not a subgroup or subcommittee of another organisation)
- Have at least five (5) members and be open to new members
- Have an appropriate governance structure with a set of rules on how it operates
- Meet regularly
- Be non-party political
- Be a minimum of six months in existence
- Groups/ organisations registering under the Environment Sector must be validated by the Environmental Pillar at a national level.
The PPN Secretariat has the final say over eligibility for membership should any queries arise.