Introducing Clare PPN’s new representatives

by Sarah Clancy | Oct 7, 2019 | Current, Members News, PPN News, SPC for Economic Development, SPC for Physical Development, SPC for Rural Development, SPC for Social Development | 0 comments

Introducing Clare PPN’s nominees for seats on Clare PPN’s Strategic Policy Committees 2019- 2024

Following the local elections in May 2019 Clare County Council’s Strategic Policy Committees had to be reconstituted as per the legislation. These Strategic Policy Committees or ‘SPCs’ for short advise Clare County Council on policies and decisions. By having seats available to outside interests they help to bring in expertise and experience from the community and voluntary, farming, trade union and business sectors. Clare PPN member groups have the role of nominating and electing all the representatives from the Community and Voluntary, Environmental and Social Inclusion sector in Clare who will sit on these committees.

On September 17th following the adoption of the ‘Draft Scheme for Strategic Policy Committees’ by Clare County Council, Clare PPN circulated a call for nominations to all its member groups for the seats we had been allocated on all four strategic policy committees. We received in total 11 nominations for the 11 available seats accross our three colleges. Although this was excellent – the nominations were not exactly aligned with the seats available; in two cases we had two nominees for one seat and none for another. Following discussions with those nominated for those particular seats we were able to reallocate the nominees to ensure that each seat had the proper number of nominees from each college. Following that we are able to announce that the following people are Clare PPNs nominees for seats on the SPCs. They will be put before our member groups for ratification at our plenary meeting on October 9th (7pm Clare PPN offices, Clonroad Business Park, Clonroad, Ennis) and following that will be sent to Clare County Council.

Economic Development SPC

Elaine Dalton – Social Inclusion Representative

Elaine D’Alton is the Project Coordinator of the NCCWN – Clare Women’s Network. Elaine is a feminist with a strong commitment to inclusion, human rights and ensuring the voices of women are brought to the forefront of decision making and their lived experiences are included and considered when structural, political and social policy development is being determined.

Emma Karran – Environmental Representative

Emma Karran is English born and has lived in Doonbeg with her family for four years. Her engagement in topics of local concern began when she became a member of the environmental group Futureproof Clare and joined the protest against the proposed LNG terminal in the Shannon estuary.
A mother herself and with links to the communities in south west Clare through her work, she wants to commit herself to deeper active involvement in the future health and well-being of the people of Clare and its land through being on the Strategic Policy Committee for Economic Development

Rural Development SPC

Annie Wise – Environment College Representative

Anny Wise is nominated by An Taisce Clare branch and was born in Antwerp Belgium in 1942. She moved to Northern Ireland in 1985 and then to Shannon in 1990. She has three degrees and studied in Sussex, Antwerp and NUIGalway. Her latest master is in Rural Development which she completed in 2006. She was first nominated to an SPC in 2006 by the Environmental Pillar and served since having been elected to represent the environment by the PPN. The SPCs she served on were were involved in transport, planning and land use.

Eugene Crimmins – Community and Voluntary Representative

Eugene is a founding member of Newmarket Village Centre Text Alert. He is a committee member and former Chair of Newmarket on Fergus Tidy Towns. A former County Arts Officer, Eugene has a long established record of community development, including having served as a board member of Obair Environmental Development Association and Clare PPN Secretariat.

Jean O’Keefe – Social Inclusion College

Jean is a Youth Work Manager with Clare Youth Service and manages The Junction Youth and Community Building. Clare Youth Service had its beginnings in 1969 when it was established as the Clare Regional Youth Council. Over the years it has changed and developed to become a leader in the field of Youth Services. It is affiliated to Youth Work Ireland (t/a NYF).  The aim of Clare Youth Service is to assist the holistic development of young people and those who work with them so that they are enabled to participate fully in society in a way which respects the equal worth of all.

Physical Development SPC

Padraic Hayes – Social Inclusion Representative

Padraic graduated with a Masters in Marketing from Limerick Institute of Technology and has worked since then in the area of administration and finance. His real passion however lies in advocacy and he is the current Chairperson of the Clare Leader Forum, which is an independent group of people with disabilities who work to create a voice on disability issues in Clare. Padraic has helped the Forum grow from strength to strength and with his support the Clare Leader Forum has now become one of the key cross-disability representative groups in Clare. At a national level Padraic has also continued to promote the rights of people with disabilities through his work with the Center for Independent Living and more specifically through his role on the Value for Money (Transforming Lives) committee

Aishling Wheeler – Environmental Representative 

Aisling is a teacher, perma-culturist, parent and climate activist. She is chairperson of Kilfenora Tidy Towns Committee. She has been involved in many environmental campaigns over the years and is currently working voluntarily with Futureproof Clare and Extinction Rebellion Ireland to raise awareness of the Climate Crisis and prepare our communities for the future.

James Giller – Environmental Representative

James Giller is a First Class Honours graduate of Computer Science from UCC and holds a Master of Engineering from Osaka University, Japan, specialising in robotics. He applies his knowledge of information technology, especially in autonomous systems, to research and engage with relevant environmental and socioeconomic issues such as industrial automation; autonomous, connected and electric vehicles; and data centres and other IT infrastructure.  James has excellent communication skills as well as experience as a representative in the UCC Student Council, where he was awarded Best New Speaker. He has hosted a number of public talks on the climate and biodiversity crisis in Ennis and given interviews on the occasion of a number of rallies and other events to both local and national media. He has also contributed to submissions on past Draft Litter Management and Climate Change Adaptation Plans from Clare County Council. James is involved in a campaign to help Ennis businesses achieve low/zero-waste.

Damon Matthew Wise Âû – Community and Voluntary Representative 

The CEO/National Secretary of NCPD. He has represented people with disabilities and environmental issues at local, county, national and international levels, including to the United Nations. Damon also serves as a secretariat member for Clare PPN and as part of Federation Trust worked with community and voluntary groups to assit them with incorporation.

Social Development SPC

Trudy Leyden – Community and Voluntary Representative

Trudy has a long interest in Social and Cultural policy. She has a Masters of Arts in Politics and has qualifications in Cultural Studies and Literature and has trained with the Clare Adult Basic Education Services and worked as an After School Homework Tutor with the Clare Local Development Company. Trudy is involved in volunteering with many organisations. She has been a Brownie Leader with the reformed Ennis Brownie Branch. She was a volunteer with the Fleadh Committee in both 2016 and 2017. She is the current Secretary with the Quin Community Text Alert Service

Noel Kearney – Social Inclusion Representative

Noel is currently serving as secretary for Clare Leader Forum. He is active in a variety of community groups  and is involved with mental health organisation Shine and with Clare Local Mental Health Forum. He organises discos and social events for people with disabilities and in his spare time he loves collecting records, reading, music, and is a big fan of films.