WHAT IS THE PPN?

Clare PPN is a network open to community and voluntary groups based in the County. About the Clare PPNThe purpose of the PPN is to allow these groups to give input and have their voices heard within the formal decision making structures of Clare County Council. The PPN is now the main way that Clare County Council will connect with groups active in the county. Whenever the local authority needs people to participate in consultations or sit on the committees that form policies it will call on the PPN to select these people by holding elections from amongst its members. It does not cost anything to register with the PPN and we encourage all eligible voluntary, community and environmental groups to About Local Democracyregister.

The PPN has a group called a secretariat who manage its activities at County level. The members of this group are independent of the County Council and are elected by the members of the PPN. Every group that joins the PPN will have a vote and will be able to nominate candidates for these and other positions.

 

 

What else will the PPN do? Click here.

As well as organising participation in decision making structures Clare PPN has a number of other ambitions and plans:

  • To help to devise a vision for the well-being of this and future generations in County Clare – watch this space!
  • To help create opportunities for networking, communication and information sharing between environmental, community and voluntary groups and between these groups and the council.
  • To help community groups to work together to create change if there are issues in the county that collectively concern them.
  • To organise public information or education events that benefit the community and voluntary sector.
  • The PPN will try its hardest to make sure that it supports groups who are more marginalised or socially excluded to participate fully in decision making.
  • To encourage more and better public participation in planning of services.
  • To run the elections for group members to sit on Clare County Council’s committees and forums.
  • To make sure that the expertise, experience and imagination of people in community groups in County Clare are taken on board when policies are being made.
  • To help to develop the environmental, social inclusion, community and voluntary sectors and to ensure that their work is respected and acknowledged.
  • To support individual members of the PPN and its elected representatives so that they can do their work confidently and effectively.

 Working to protect the wellbeing of this and future generations.

THE SECRETARIAT

The PPN has a group called a secretariat who manage its activities at County level. The members of this group are independent of the County Council and are elected by the members of the PPN. Every group that joins the PPN will have a vote and will be able to nominate candidates for these and other positions.

PPN NEWS

Upcoming Events

TWITTER

WHO CAN JOIN THE PPN?

Join PPN Participate

  • Groups that are currently active and have an address in County Clare.
  • Groups that are set up on a not for profit basis.
  • Groups that have at least 5 members.
  • Groups that are open for new membership.
  • Groups that have been at least 3 months in existence.

Groups that are able to demonstrate their existence or activity in the county as a community and voluntary group to Clare PPN –this can be through them having a constitution and structure, through providing meeting minutes, or website and social media evidence or any other satisfactory method. Clare PPN’s secretariat will decide on each group’s eligibility with a view to including as many groups as possible.

Picking your College: 

The PPN is organised into three colleges or strands that group members according to their main interest or activity. These colleges are:

  • Community and Voluntary
  • Social Inclusion
  • Environmental

When you register with the PPN you should choose the college that most closely represents your main activity or interest. So if your group aims to combat poverty, ageism, racism, homelessness etc. then you should select the social inclusion college, whereas if your group is a Tidy Towns or sports group then you should select community and voluntary college and if your group’s main aim is to raise awareness of climate change or promote sustainability then you should select the Environmental College.

Note: Groups who are joining the PPN’s environmental college must be validated by the environmental pillar at a national level. If the environmental pillar does not consider them to be an appropriate group for that college they may then join the community and voluntary college instead.

What Groups Can’t Join the PPN?

Political parties may not join the PPN nor any organisations which have the aim of the promotion of a particular party or candidate.

Businesses or trade unions may not join the PPN – note this is not because we don’t like them, it’s because they or organisations representing their issues have already got their own seats on council committees and decision making bodies.

To register click here.     Join PPN page

Clare PPN is committed to working from an inclusive, social justice and anti-racist perspective and will not collaborate with or admit any group which promotes the exclusion of, or demeans any other ethnicity, culture, belief, orientation or capacity.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ Confused

Do groups that were previously registered with the Community & Voluntary Forum now have to register again for the PPN process?
Groups that were previously registered with the C&V forum must register with the PPN and self-select the Electoral College that is appropriate for their organisation.

Is it a requirement that a Community & Voluntary organisation that wishes to register with a PPN has a constitution, an officer structure, e.g. Chairperson, Secretary etc., a Bank Account, Garda Vetting etc? Or are any of these elements optional?
All organisations registered for the PPN should have an agreed set of rules and a working structure that informs the appropriate workings and structures for that organisation, which may differ across organisations. In most cases, this will likely be a constitution.

What votes are registered groups entitled to? 
All groups registered will have one vote for the election of representatives from their respective College to the Secretariat and one vote to select each representative from their geographical area (municipal district) to the Secretariat.

Can groups join the PPN without selecting a Municipal District?
No, Groups must have an address in County Clare to register with the PPN and whatever municipal district this address is in will automatically become their area. This is in order to ensure that no group can organise to have votes in every area.

What is a linkage group and what is the role of a linkage group?
When the Local Authority seeks representative(s) for its various County Committees, SPCs etc. they contact the PPN secretariat with the details. The PPN secretariat then contacts ALL organisations who are members of the PPN indicating the place(s) that are available and calling all interested organisations with an interest in this issue (stakeholders) to a meeting. The group of organisations that assembles is the PPN’s Linkage Group on this particular topic. The Linkage Group chooses the PPN’s representatives sought by the Local Authority. The linkage group will be set up when there is a new committee or structure established by the Council that requires public participation. The linkage group will be in place until the committee or structure has been dissolved by the Council. The linkage group will operate as a reference group for the person they have chosen to represent their group and should meet regularly to support the nominated representative to be informed and reflect the viewpoints of the linkage group.

How will PPN meetings be organised? 
Once the PPN is established by the Council, it will become an autonomous body, independent of the Council. PPN meetings will be called and organised by a committee known as the Secretariat. The Secretariat will oversee communication within the PPN and between the PPN and the Council. Secretariat members will be selected by the PPN itself.

How can my group register with the PPN? 
You can register your group with the Public Participation Network either ONLINE or FAQ Got another questionby downloading and printing a form here.

Further information and assistance is also available by contacting Sarah Clancy on 086 1617375 or sarah@clareppn.ie

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