Click a Link Below to Find out About the Work of Your PPN Representative

Reps News isproduced by theSligo Public Participation Network (PPN) to feedback to members about the work of your elected PPN Representatives.

PPN Representatives sit on a wide range of County and Regional Committees - bringing forward the voice of the community and voluntary sector.

Each PPN Representative has been elected by a linkage group. Any member can become a member of a linkage group at any time.

Thanks to all of our voluntary representatives, who attend meetings on behalf of the PPN and have taken the time to contribute to this online newsletter.

Click a link below to find out about the work of your PPN representative:

Contents

The Local Community Development Committee Reps

Sligo Joint Policing Committee Reps

North West Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force Reps

Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership Committee Reps

Sligo Heritage Forum Reps

Housing and Corporate Strategic Policy Committee Reps

Environment and Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee Reps

Planning, Community and Economic Development, Arts and Culture; Strategic Policy Committee Reps

Disability Consultative Committee Rep

North West Fisheries Action Group Rep

Independent Evaluation Committee Reps

Social Inclusion College/Disability Linkage Group

Environment College

Secretariat Reps

The Local Community Development Committee Reps

The Local Community Development Committee has met six times in the past 12 months. The committee has been busy working on the establishment of an economic committee for County Sligo to progress economic development. They have also been monitoring the 'Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme' in Sligo.

The Committee is also responsible for ensuring the implemention the Local Economic and Community Plan and local agencies feedback quarterly to the LCDC on the progress of actions. Two projects have been approved for funding under the new Rural Development Programme. In addition, a PEACE IV subcommittee has met twice and three PPN Reps, Sharon Boles, Gerald O Connor and Michael Kirby are members.

The PPN Reps have contributed to the committee by querying the work of the committee, from a social inclusion and environmental perspective. They actively participate in reviewing the work of the SICAP and RDP Programme. They have also contributed to the setting up of the economic sub group. The PPN team also report to the LCDC on the work of the PPN.

The PPN provides opportunities for presenting a united, non-political voice in relation to concerns and issues important to our membership. For this reason, feedback from PPN members, especially in relation to Environmental issues and concerns, is essential to informing our representational activities

Sligo Joint Policing Committee Reps

There are 6 PPN representatives on the Sligo Joint Policing Committee. The Committee met twice during 2016. At an initial meeting the standing orders for the committee were discussed. At a subsequent meeting of the committee, held in December 2016, the committee agreed to put the Joint Policing Work Plan out for public consultation. The PPN members hope that there will be a more regular meeting schedule in 2017.

Despite limited meeting the JPC PPN reps have been busy. They met up to compile a submission to the JPC Action Plan. They proposed that the JPC should invest in collaborative working with the community and other sectors, to address issues like rural crime, violence and substance misuse. They also proposed an increase in Garda patrols in urban and rural areas. They joint hosted a meeting of the JPC and drug and alcohol task force linkage group in November 2016 – where policing solutions to anti-social behaviour and drug/alcohol misuse in Sligo were discussed.

North West Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force Reps

Sligo PPN has two reps on the NW Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The Committee meets six times per year. As it is a regional committee, they are joined by PPN Reps from Donegal and Leitrim. The Committee has oversight of the work plan for the Task Force, it authorises and approves payments, and feeds into local strategies to reduce substance related harm.

The Sligo Reps also participate on the Prevention and Education Sub Committee. They allocate funding to projects to meet task force objectives and review results. The Committee review outcomes from projects and query the value for money. They explore the best ways to educate people about substance misuse. The Sligo PPN reps are recommending that interventions happen when children are young. The Sligo PPN reps also want to ensure that a focus is maintained on Alcohol misuse in particular – given the very high impact on our health, mental health and community safety. In December the JPC reps co-hosted a linkage group meeting with the Drug and Alcohol linkage group. Here issues of alcohol misuse on community safety were raised and discussed, and the need for support for parents whose children are involved in drug and alcohol misuse.

Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership Committee Reps

Sligo PPN elected three representatives on to the Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership. The aim of the Partnership is to support increased participation in sport and active recreation throughout County Sligo

Sligo Heritage Forum Reps

The PPN have three representatives on the Heritage Forum. The Co Sligo Heritage Forum met on December 6th 2016, and on February 28th 2017. The next meeting is scheduled for 23rd May.
The meetings were updated on the progress of Sligo Heritage Plan Projects, Community Heritage Projects and Capital Heritage Projects granted funding during 2016. There was discussion on a logo identity to enhance awareness of the Heritage Forum. A number of Heritage Plan Projects for 2017 have been submitted to the Heritage Council for funding and news of grant allocations are awaited.
A new programme has been developed to help advise and train local communities in Sligo to survey and record details of historic graveyards. A public information session on the Sligo Historic Graveyard Training Project will take place in the Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo on Monday 6th of March 2017, 7.30 – 9.00pm. All welcome.

The Reps have contributed significantly to the day to day working and decision making of Sligo Heritage Forum and look to represent the views of the Sligo PPN Heritage Linkage Group and the wider heritage community.
Wendy Lyons (PPN rep) continues to promote the County Sligo Museum Project. Sligo County Council have recently tasked Sligo Heritage Forum with undertaking a review of the Sligo Museum Project. Meehan Tully & Associates have been appointed to undertake this work. A working group is scheduled to meet shortly. Sligo Heritage Forum looks forward to the outcome of the review.
Martin Enright (PPN rep) was nominated by Sligo Heritage Forum as its representative to the Sligo County Councils Place Names Committee. In early January, Larry Mullin was also nominated to the Place Names Committee by the Sligo PPN - Heritage Linkage Group.

Please see the PPN E Bulletin for news on Heritage Week, the National Heritage Awards and the Heritage Council Grants Scheme

Housing and Corporate Strategic Policy Committee Reps

Sligo PPN elected two representatives onto the Housing and Corporate Strategic Policy Committee.

One meeting has been held since Christmas. The Council reported that they are exceeding their targets in relation to Traveller Accommodation (106%), this was challenged at the meeting by a County Councillor, who felt that targets had been set low. It was outlined that targets were not being met through group housing schemes, but rather through other accommodation measures. A fire safety review of halting sites in the County has also taken place.

The council reported that they were happy with the rate of unoccupied housing being let out to rent again. The Council reported on the major infrastructure works that have taken place to replace sewers on O Connell Street.

There was a presentation on the strategic plan for housing for people with disabilities (relating to people currently living in Chesire Home, Cregg House and Cloonamahon). There are potentially 113 people to be re-housed. Sligo has one of the largest number of people to accommodate as part of the move away from congregated settings.

The PPN representatives continue to work hard to influence policy decisions and the work of the Council, they have raised questions in relation to homelessness in Sligo and Council housing stock, among other issues.

Environment and Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee Reps

The PPN environment college elected representative (Sharon Eastwood) again attended the last Environmental & Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee of Sligo County Council in December 2016.

It was a good opportunity to learn, and input, into the council’s work in this regard. There are a number of public representatives on this SPC including councillors, a Sligo Chamber rep and a second representative from the PPN, elected by the community and voluntary college.

Updates were provided on the new staff from Connaught/Ulster Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs), Sligo County Council Roads Presentations, and the Speed limit review was discussed. Queries were submitted on litter wardens, synchronisation of town centre traffic lights to improve traffic flow and reduce engine emissions; placement of traffic signs, proposed reduction of speed limits in residential estates and litter and waste management. The next meeting date is yet to be decided.

If anyone would like an item raised via the electoral college, please do contact your rep.

Planning, Community and Economic Development, Arts and Culture; Strategic Policy Committee Reps

Sligo PPN has elected two representatives onto this committee. The committee meets to discuss a wide range of issues.

Disability Consultative Committee Rep

Arthur Gibbons was elected as the Disability Consultative Committee Representative in September 2016. Arthur is still waiting for an invitation to the first committee meeting. He intends to bring up a number of issues affecting people with disabilities in Sligo (as raised at a meeting of the PPN, see section on social inclusion/disability linkage group). Arthur will convene a meeting of the Disability Linkage Group this year.

North West Fisheries Action Group Rep

Sligo PPN elected a representative, Mikey Kilcullen, onto this committee on the 18th January 2017. Since then, the North West Fisheries Action Groups has met once, and Mikey attended on behalf of the PPN.

The purpose of the committee is to design and implement and monitor a community led local development strategy. The report for this year is due to be launched in April 2017. It deals primarily with the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

If you would like to raise any issues with your PPN representative, get in touch with the PPN office.

Independent Evaluation Committee Reps

Two PPN Representatives sit on the Independent Evaluation Committee. This committee was established by the Local Community Development Committee, to evaluate applications made to the Rural Development Programme. They can decide on whether funding can be granted to a project or not, or seek further clarification. As the workings of this committee are confidential, and independent of other bodies, feedback from PPN representatives is not possible.

Social Inclusion College/Disability Linkage Group

The Social Inclusion College met a number of times during 2016. Early in the year the college met to develop and amend a social inclusion policy for the PPN. The Policy defines equality, human rights, social inclusion and a human rights based approach. It outlines specific objectives for the Secretariat, to enable social inclusion goals to be achieved. The social inclusion goals are tied to those developed as part of the Local Economic and Community Plan. The Policy also sets out social inclusion goals for those on the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and those serving on Strategic Policy Committees.

The policy also sets out a number of activities to communicate the and enact the policy. These include a public launch of the policy, making a presentation to the elected Councillors about the work of the PPN, promoting the policy through media (it is available on the PPN website) and holding social inclusion meetings of the PPN, focused on particular areas of social inclusion - housing, disability and carers, to identify gaps in services.

In response to the final issue, a ‘focus on disability’ meeting was organised for September 2016. This meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders engaged in disability issues. At the meeting a number of needs were articulated, these included:

• The need for a publicly accessible disabled changing room/toilet in Sligo
• Better strategies to integrate people with disabilities into the wider community
• Wider accessibility for young people’s services and clubs
• Supporting/protecting women with disabilities from domestic violence
• How funding models encourage segregated settings for people with disabilities

Following the meeting, a meeting of representatives from the social inclusion college and disability linkage group was held. Here it was agreed to progress issues through the Disability Consultative Committee and also to write a submission to the County Development Plan, highlighting the issues. It was agreed that the group would be called to meet again, once a meeting of the Disability Consultative Committee was held, so that reps would be able to constructively feedback. An email update was sent to all members in November 2016, informing them of this decision. It was also proposed by reps that members of this group be asked to join the disability linkage group, and progress could be furthered in future through this avenue.

Environment College

The Environment College has grown to14 members, making it one of the larger PPN environmental colleges in Ireland. During the summer of 2016, all members were invited to come together to develop a policy for the environment college. The goal is that Sligo will be recognised as a leading county for promoting environmental sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. Sligo PPN will seek to achieve this vision by …

• Working to ensure that environmental sustainability is at the core of all policies and actions in Sligo
• Working to ensure that when action is taken to improve the economy and create jobs, environmental consequences are identified and addressed
• Raising awareness and understanding as well as engaging in dialogue on environmental sustainability with all sectors across the county
• Affecting policy through participation and advocacy
• Encouraging individuals, groups and organisations to take action to positively contribute to environmental sustainability

"As a first action to progress environmental awareness amongst PPN member groups, the environment college produced a ‘how to’ guide to assist communities in making submissions to the Draft Sligo County Development Plan 2017-2023. They also set a goal to wider the criteria and membership of the Environmental college, encourage PPN members to be more ‘green’ and to secure an environmental officer in Sligo County Council.