by badminme | Jul 29, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News
Submission on Marine Protected Areas
Clare PPN and Clare Environmental Network have made a joint submission as part of the public consultation on ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network’.
You can read our submission here:
https://clareppn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ClarePPN_CEN_MPAsubmission_29July2021.pdf
by badminme | Jul 26, 2021 | Members News, PPN News
Notice of Plenary Meeting: Wednesday, 15th September 2021, 7pm (online)
Clare Public Participation Network warmly invites all member groups to attend its second Plenary Meeting of 2021 which will take place on Wednesday, 15th September 2021 at 7pm. Please reserve your place at this meeting by emailing your name and member group name to admin@clareppn.ie on or before Tuesday, 14th September. Only those registered in advance will receive the link to the meeting.
What is a Plenary Meeting?
Plenary meetings are the main decision making forums for Clare PPN. At these meetings all member groups are invited to attend and to put items forward for the agenda for discussion or for inclusion in the work plan of Clare PPN. At each of these meetings the staff and secretariat of Clare PPN present an update on the work, finances, and activities of the PPN and present their work plan for discussion and input from member groups. Clare PPN’s representatives who sit on 11 boards and committees in the County will also have an opportunity to present updates from their committees and to take any questions or input from member groups at this meeting.
Online Meeting:
Due to the continuing Covid-19 restrictions, this Plenary Meeting will be held online via zoom. You will need a smart phone or computer and an internet connection to use Zoom.
Call for Agenda Items:
All current member groups can propose agenda items for this meeting on or before 9th September 2021. Please send these using the subject line ”Agenda Item Plenary Meeting” to admin@clareppn.ie
PLEASE NOTE: Clare PPN staff, reps and Secretariat will be taking a well deserved break throughout August. If you contact us during this time your booking and/or agenda item will be confirmed on our return in September.
by badminme | Jul 22, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News
Our seas are at risk – tell the government you want action
Make your voice heard by making a submission on Marine Protected Areas before Friday, July 30th
The oceans give us everything. For generations we have lived off the sea – especially here in Clare. But our seas are now at crisis point, following years of attack from supertrawlers, aquaculture, oil and gas exploration, plastic and noise pollution, to mention just a few of the threats to our precious marine life. Large predatory fish have declined by 90% since the advent of industrial fishing and many species face extinction.
The good news is that sea-life has a remarkable ability to bounce back once these threats are removed. Scientists worldwide agree that a network of properly-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) allows marine habitats to recover and replenish.
Just 2% of Ireland’s incredibly diverse sea area is designated as protected areas, but there is almost no monitoring or policing of these. Supertrawlers can legally operate in these areas.
Clare-based ocean wildlife filmmaker Ken O’Sullivan says that to rebuild marine ecosystems, we must designate at least 30% of our ocean for special protection by 2030. As marine life recovers, fish catches will increase and create sustainable jobs.
Ken is backing a call by Clare PPN’s environmental groups and Clare Environmental Network for groups and individuals in Clare to let the Government know we care about Ireland’s marine environment and want meaningful action to protect it.
You can have your say by making a submission as part of the government’s public consultation on an expert report, ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network’. The consultation closes next Friday, July 30th, at 5pm.
HOW TO TAKE ACTION:
If you can spare 10 or 15 minutes, please send an email to marine.env@housing.gov.ie, with the subject line ‘MPA Public Consultation 2021’. You don’t need to be an expert and your submission can be as short or long as you like.
An email written by you will have more impact than a template email, but here are a few points you might like to make…
I support the expert report and would like to see the recommendations being swiftly implemented.
I would also like to see:
• Immediate action to protect existing Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas, for example the SAC in the Shannon Estuary.
• No industrial fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – and especially no bottom-towed gears.
• 30% of Irish waters as MPAs as a minimum target for 2030.
• Support for fishing communities in Clare that may be negatively impacted by MPAs.
• Proper investment in scientific data gathering.
• All MPAs to be actively managed with public participation.
Another way to make a submission is go to the public consultation website and fill in an anonymous survey (where you can also download the full MPA report):
https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/45271-public-consultation-on-expert-advisory-group-report-entitled-expanding-irelands-marine-protected-area-network/#how-you-can-get-involved
You can read more about MPAs at the Irish Wildlife Trust’s excellent website:
https://iwt.ie/take-action-on-mpas/
by badminme | Jul 15, 2021 | Current, Members News, National, PPN News
Equality Review of Clare County Council’s Provision of Traveller Specific Housing
July 14th 2021
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission yesterday released the reports on Equality Reviews which they required each Local Authority to carry out in respect of their provision of Traveller Specific Accomodation.
You can read the review of County Clare Here: Clare-CC-Equality-Review-IHREC_Final
For more details on this IHREC initiative go to this link: https://www.ihrec.ie/our-work/equality-review
by badminme | Jul 15, 2021 | Current, Local Community Development Committee, Members News, National, PPN News
Clare PPN Submission to the consultation on the National Action Plan Against Racism:
July 14th 2021
Click on the link below to read our submission:
Clare-Public-Participation-Network-Submission-to-the-Consultation-on-a-new-Action-Plan-Against-Racism-July-2021
Clare Public Participation Network frequently makes submissions on National and Local Government Consultations. We do this by alerting our member groups to the consultation, offering to hold a consultation meeting and if there is interest from our groups, colleges or expert groups we work together to collaboratively create a submission. When compiling such submissions we also refer to priorities identified or motions passed by our member groups at Plenary meetings, previous Clare PPN submissions on relevant topics and most recently we also refer to the Wellbeing Vision Statements for Clare Created by our members in 2020.