by badminme | Jan 28, 2023 | Members News, PPN News
Press release
Issued by Clare Public Participation Network
Saturday, January 28th, 2023
Clare PPN Secretariat calls on Clare communities to reject the involvement of far right agitators in community concerns
Far-right groups offer us nothing – we must refuse to pit those with least power against each other
Clare Public Participation Network (PPN) is a network of more than 350 community groups based in County Clare. Since its establishment in 2014 many of its member groups have been active on social, environmental and community issues in Clare. This has included working to welcome newcomers to our communities, including refugees and asylum seekers, and campaigning to end the damaging segregating system of direct provision.
We have been inspired and proud of the leadership, compassion and empathy people and groups all over Clare have shown to people arriving in our communities from places as far flung as Syria, Iran, Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq and Afghanistan and most recently Ukraine. We have had the pleasure of watching many of these new arrivals find their feet, find jobs, start businesses and, better still, start socialising and playing sport and music and fitting right in to the vibrant lively culture that exists in Clare. The people who have arrived here are an extraordinary benefit to the county and apart from their social contributions it is clear to those of us involved that our care services, tourism enterprises, health services and the construction industry would struggle without their presence.
Alongside all of these positives, Clare PPN members – including those from new communities – have worked their hardest to raise the very real issues that do face us as a county: the unequal provision of services, housing, public transport, health services and mental health supports for our communities, poverty, lack of addiction supports, poor services and access to employment for people with disabilities and the continuing discrimination against the Traveller community.
Clare PPN just last year released a ground-breaking report on poverty in the county which has generated huge attention and amongst other issues demonstrated that we have a huge vacancy rate in housing in Clare with nearly 1 in 5 houses in the county vacant. Clare PPN understands fully and shares the frustrations of its member groups at the lack of effective political action to remedy the poor provision of services and housing in the county and we stand with them in every way we can from lobbying and campaigning to protesting.
As people living and working in Clare we face the same issues. We are concerned, however, to see the recent rise in attempts by known individuals and groups to use these genuine concerns to manipulate communities into anti-migrant and anti-refugee sentiment.
Whilst Clare PPN is no cheerleader for this Government’s problematising approach to handling migration and international protection, which is detrimental for both migrants and communities, we are clear that not one of the issues we face in Clare was caused by migrants or migration. They are caused by the failure by successive governments to prioritise the socio-economic rights of citizens and residents and their reliance on market-based solutions to provide essential basic entitlements.
Far-right agitators have been active before in Clare but with little success – in Lisdoonvarna, Ennis, and nearby in Kinvara, Co Galway. Our communities saw through these attempts to pit people against each other and instead acted to welcome people to their neighbourhoods, while continuing to demand better resources and services. The very same agitators went on to cause community division and upset in Oughterard and Rooskey and Moville to name but a few places.
We were extremely concerned to see some of the same individuals show up again in Shannon today (28th January) at a community gathering. Given recent events around Ireland, Clare PPN is extremely concerned that the groups of far right agitators DO present the prospect of violence in our communities and we are calling on all the community groups to reject their presence, and to reject their messages of division.
Far-right groups offer us nothing and have no contribution that will benefit us. They have no solutions to our housing or health issues. In recent weeks we’ve seen the resurgence of a very well-supported community-led campaign to restore our health services, with people from three counties standing together in unity. This is the kind of action we need more of: we need to take our concerns to the centre of power — to our TDs, Senators, Government – and we must refuse to pit those with least power in our communities against each other.
We’ve shown it before, we’re better than that in Clare. The Banner can do better.
Ní neart go cur le chéile
by badminme | Jan 16, 2023 | Members News, PPN News
Clare County Council Launches two major funding initiatives for Community Groups & organisations in Co. Clare
Clare County Council’s Local Area Grant Scheme 2023 together with the Community Support Fund 2022 under the Department of Rural & Community Development’s Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) will see a combined funding of €728,325.00 allocated to Co. Clare providing significant financial support and benefit to groups and organisations throughout the county.
To read the press release with all relevant information, please click here: CLAG CSS Info for Press Release 2023
WALK-IN CLINICS FOR ANY GROUPS WITH QUERIES THIS WEEK AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
Tuesday, 17th January
Pavilion Community Hall, Lisdoonvarna 10am -1pm
Scariff MD Office, Scariff 10am -1pm
Corofin Community Hall, Corofin 2pm – 5pm
Cnoc na Gaoithe, Tulla Comhaltas Cultural Centre, Tulla 2pm – 5pm
Thursday 19th January
Treacy’s Oakwood Arms Hotel, Shannon 10am -1pm
Kilrush Hub, Kilrush 10am – 1pm
Buttermarket Civic Room, Ennis 2pm – 5pm
Lissycasey Community Hall, Lissycasey 2pm – 5pm
by badminme | Jan 12, 2023 | Current, Members News, PPN News
Minutes of Clare PPN Plenaries Dec 2022
(one online & one in-person)
Thursday, 8th December, 2022
Attendance:
16
WORK REPORT 2022
Sarah Ferrigan gave an overview of the extensive work undertaken by Clare PPN in 2022. You can read/download our Work Report at this link:
https://clareppn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Work-report-for-plenary-Dec-2022.pdf
The most significant piece of work undertaken by Clare PPN this year was the research project, ‘Towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Clare’. You can download a copy of the report here:
https://clareppn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Clare_Anti_Poverty_Report_Sept2022_web.pdf
Appreciation was expressed for the County Council’s organising of a successful half-day event following on from the publication of the Anti-Poverty report, involving Councillors, Council staff, PPN reps and staff and other community representatives.
• Setting up of the Clare Traveller CDP was welcomed as an important step for Travellers in Clare.
• Membership: we now have 362 member groups. A re-registration process will take place in the first quarter of 2023.
FINANCES
Budget is on target. Our audited accounts are available on our website by searching ‘audited accounts’. Quarterly financial reports are also uploaded. We had a Departmental audit in 2022 – no issues raised.
All PPNs had looked for more funding from Dept of Rural & Community Development, as we don’t have enough. We had looked for €39,000 per PPN. Dept has told us there will be a modest increase. Likely to be €11,000 for each PPN. For Clare PPN, this will simply mean our funding meets our outgoings. We need further staff resources. At a minimum we need three full-time staff equivalent. Currently we are two full-time equivalent.
WORK PLAN 2023
Sarah Clancy gave an overview. The draft Work Plan can be viewed here:
https://clareppn.ie/clare-ppn-draft-work-plan-2023/
The Work Plan will be finalised by 15th January.
• Something we want to achieve in 2023 is organising a Migrant Forum for Clare discussions on how to go about this took place with an acknowledgement of previous approaches which were not successful- the idea of one forum for disparate groups of varying nationalities with little in common is not a good starting point. New starting point will be to engage with individual groups first. PPN will seek resources to do this.
• Pobal/LECP:
We are awaiting final word on a Pobal-funded project that relates to the public consultation process around the Local Economic & Community Plan (LECP). The aim of the project is to enshrine socio-economic rights and just transition principles into the LECP. This would mean funding of €40,000, which would pay for the person who will do the work (not existing PPN staff).
COP27 CLIMATE SUMMIT
Theresa O’Donohoe & Martin Vernon reported on their trip as part of a youth delegation to the COP27 summit. All in all, the summit was a talking shop but great to see so much youth protest and ‘humbling’ to meet people from regions whose existence is threatened by climate chaos. You can read Theresa’s & Martin’s report at this page:
FEASTA COP-27 Delegate Reports
CLARE PPN ELECTONS
Congratulations to Bridgie Casey and Bridget Ginnity who were both elected as Clare PPN Reps on the LCDC (Local Community Development Committee).
Theresa O’Donoghue elected to Clare PPN Secretariat.
• Upcoming elections:
We have two vacant seats on our Secretariat, one each for Killaloe and Shannon Municipal Districts (MDs). The term is three years. (You can stand for a subsequent term also). Nominations can be from groups in those MDs.
There is also a seat for an Environmental Rep on the Physical Development SPC.
We will announce the election process online, followed by a 21-day period for nominations.
LEADER FUNDING ISSUE
This EU funding is €6.6 million over 5 years, for rural and sustainable development. CLDC and Clare Co Council (LCDC) are both applying to be the delivery vehicle. An LCDC meeting has been called for next Tuesday 13th Dec to discuss whether LCDC should compete to be the body who oversees the LEADER funding in Clare – funding that CLDC has been overseeing delivery of for more than a decade. Very short notice – doesn’t allow proper PPN processes. Clare PPN can’t speak for all members without consulting them. Suggested that we will email all members to ask, via an online survey, what Clare PPN should do – vote yes, no or abstain- this later decided against in favour of an EGM instead.
Long discussion on this issue, with major concerns expressed about the Council’s move to apply for this funding through the LCDC and the conflicts and duplication that happened last time; with the lack of notice arising from this being raised under AOB rather than as an LCDC agenda item causing discontent among members.
Plenary agreed:
• To call an EGM on Monday evening, 12th December via Zoom, at which the issue can be outlined to Clare PPN members, and they can decide how Clare PPN Reps should vote at Tuesday’s meeting (while noting that certain Reps may be precluded from voting due to possible conflicts of interest arising from their connections to either party).
• Agreed also that concerns should be expressed to Clare Co Council about the handling of this issue.
Some questions were raised as possible questions to put to Clare County Council/LCDC:
– Why does Council want to control the funding ?
What would be the workload and responsibility implications for members of the LCDC?
What extra resources would be assigned to LCDC members
What will happen to jobs in CLDC?
AOB
• The meeting expressed gratitude to the commitment and efforts of Cornelia Wahli to the PPN and to several other organisations who were lucky to have her as a member. Cornelia sadly died earlier this year. She was a PPN environmental Rep.
• Disappointment expressed at turnout at Plenary. Suggestion of combining another event, e.g. a guest speaker. Plenaries in future may be alternated between in-person and online (as opposed to having both for each plenary which is the current practice)
• Agreed that newsletter should include a line asking the contact person to share the newsletter within your member group. This request should be included in subject line.
ENDS
