Join your local Public Participation Network to take part in Council Committees
Do you want to have a say in the policies around your local environment? The Environmental Pillar is excited to announce an opportunity for community members to actively engage in the development of local policy in their County. (1)
Local environmental groups can join their Public Participation Network (PPN) which lets them take part in council committees and be voice for nature and sustainable development in local policy creation. (2)
Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs) are the first step in creating and reviewing policy within the County Council. They are a unique way for the public to have a direct impact in the future of their County.
There are three areas that community members can get involved; Environmental, Social Inclusion, and Community & Voluntary. Those who are nominated are given support from their PPN in their role. The Environmental Pillar also offers support, with national meet ups and webinars to share actions and information across counties.
The framework for the SPCs have now been finalised in most counties for the period of 2024 – 2029. Each SPC is required to consider climate action and climate impacts as part of any and all policies that form part of its work programme. (3)
The policies developed by the SPCs over the next 5 years will be critical in enabling the County Council to play its part in both mitigation and adaptation of climate change and reversing the rapid decline in our essential biodiversity.
This is a vital opportunity for members of the public to collaborate with local Councillors and other stakeholders to tackle specific policy areas.
How to Get Involved
Members of the public can get involved through their local voluntary groups. Your group can join your County’s Public Participation Network, through which nominations take place.
You can find your local Public Participation Network at www.LEN.ie/ppns
If you are not a member of a group, you can find a list of PPN members on their website and join an existing member to get involved.
Additionally, the PPNs offer community groups the opportunity to network and collaborate with other groups in their county, to give input into policy in other ways apart from the SPCs, and to keep up to date on information such as events and funding.
Community involvement is essential for effective policymaking. By participating in Strategic Policy Committees, members of the public will have the opportunity to influence decisions that impact their lives directly.
Upcoming information evenings
Each PPN will be hosting their own training for new Representatives in the SPCs, and all PPN members will hear of this training through their PPN. You can also join the Environmental Pillar at their upcoming introductory webinars for an overview of the SPCs, what the work involves and the potential that local representatives can achieve.
Register for the following information evenings below
Monday 14th October – Making an impact in local policy creation: Introduction to Strategic Policy Committees. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/spcintro1
Tuesday 29th October – Making an impact in local policy creation: Introduction to Strategic Policy Committees. (Repeat event) Register here: https://tinyurl.com/spcintro2
Catherine O’Toole, Development Officer of the Irish Environmental Network, said: “We are lucky in Ireland that we all have the opportunity to take part in policy creation at this level. The Strategic Policy Committees are participatory democracy in action! There is huge potential for steering policy that your community wants to see enacted in your county.
I am excited to be hosting introductory webinars for anyone who is interested in hearing more about how the SPCs work and the potential for positive impact that exists through them.
I hope that more people who are interested in biodiversity and climate issues will get involved, as this is an important opportunity for people to direct real action for nature, climate, and sustainable development in their county.”
Karen Ciesielski, Coordinator of the Environmental Pillar, said: “The Environmental Pillar welcomes the requirement for each Strategic Policy Committee to consider climate action and impacts as part of any and all policies in their work programme. The guidelines for SPCs also outline that climate is a cross-cutting issue, and that climate action should be considered in its broadest sense to include action for biodiversity, water quality, energy, land use and more.
“This is particularly relevant today in the context of the Dail’s declaration of a National Climate Change and Biodiversity Emergency, the national Climate Action Plan, and National Biodiversity Action Plan. In this context, the policies developed by the SPCs over the next 5 years will be critical in enabling the County Council to play its part in both mitigation and adaptation of climate change and reversing the rapid decline in our essential biodiversity.
“The opportunity that exists for local environmental groups to get involved from the very beginning of policy creation is essential, as effective policies require local knowledge and expertise to ensure that action is taken in the interest of the local community and our environment. This is an opportunity for people to be a voice for nature in areas such as planning, housing, heritage, transport, tourism, economic development and more.”
Ends
Notes to the editor
- The Environmental Pillar is a network of 34 national independent environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and we work together to represent the views of the Irish environmental sector. The Environmental Pillar is the validating body for groups who wish to join the Public Participation Networks as an environmental group.
- The Public Participation Network (PPN) is the ‘go to’ for all local authorities who wish to benefit from community and voluntary expertise in their area. There is one in each Local Authority, and they are open for all local community groups to join. It is free to join, and the benefits include networking with other local groups, getting involved in local decision making through various Council committees, and receiving information on local events, submissions and funding.
- Stated in the Revised Guidelines for Establishment and Operation of Corporate Policy Groups and Strategic Policy Committees: “each SPC is required to consider climate action and climate impacts as part of any and all policies that form part of its work programme. Again, deliberations in this regard should operate in a cross-cutting manner and in the broader public policy context; any interrelationships with other policy domains should be taken into account while considering policies. (Climate action should be considered in its widest sense, to include biodiversity action, water quality action, sustainable land use, energy (source and usage), resource management, sustainable transport/mobility, air quality/emissions, soil quality, waste management, community action, etc., and other related issues – reflecting the complex and integrated nature of climate action).
