Clare County Council has announced the establishment of a new forum aimed at enhancing and expanding the role played by the public in formulating local government policy and the future development of communities.
The Public Participation Network (PPN), which replaces the Clare Community Forum, will be the new representative voice of the community, voluntary and environmental sectors in Clare.
An information briefing and registration event will be held at Glór in Ennis at 7.00pm on Wednesday, December 3. The event will outline how community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups can benefit from the new network and why they should consider becoming members.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, John Crowe said the PPN will enable community groups to interact with local government at different levels, as well as facilitate Clare County Council in developing policy and in plan making.
A Clare County PPN will be established along with a PPN in each of the four municipal districts; Ennis, Shannon, Killaloe and West Clare. PPN members will be able to nominate representatives to the Council’s primary decision making bodies, including the Strategic Policy Committees (SPC).
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.