About PPN Monaghan

About The PPN

PPN’s have been introduced throughout Ireland as part of the reform of Local Government. They replace the old Community Forum structure, and are seen as a deepening of the commitment of local authorities to include the community & voluntary sector in their decision-making structures. 

Co Monaghan PPN replaces Monaghan Community Forum, whose members have been helping to ease the transition and encourage groups to re-register with the new PPN structures. Monaghan County Council is very grateful for the assistance of Monaghan Community Forum.

Membership of the PPN is open to all community and voluntary groups in Co. Monaghan.

This is the first time in Irish history that the Community & Voluntary Sector has been given the right to sit at the decision-making table BY LAW. So let’s be sure to use it – JOIN TODAY!

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What is the PPN?

For the first time in the history of the Irish State, the inclusion of the community & voluntary sector in Council decision-making structures has been provided for by law, via the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

The Act charges the local authority with:

  • adopting a Framework for Public Participation, which lays out how the Council will include the public and the community & voluntary sector in its decision-making
  • setting up and maintaining a Public Participation Network, enabling all community and voluntary groups to participate in a structured, representative way
  • sourcing community & voluntary representatives for the various Council decision-making committees from the membership of the PPN
  • providing resources to the PPN so that they can keep all groups in touch with their representatives and ensure meaningful participation.

How this is to be done is laid out in Dept Guidelines for PPNs provided by the Dept of the Environment, Community & Local Government. However, in Co Monaghan, we have added a few ‘tweaks’ to adapt the Guidelines to take advantage of the strong community structures which already exist in the county.

How is the PPN organised?

Membership of the PPN is open to ALL community & voluntary groups which have an address in Co Monaghan. Membership is free of charge.

Groups are organised in two ways within the PPN:

  • by the Municipal District they’re located in
  • by the type of activity they engage in

Municipal District Membership:

A group which is active in a local area will register with the County PPN, and tick the Municipal District they are located in. They will then be kept in touch with both county PPN activities and activity which is specific to their MD.

A group which is active throughout the county need register with the County PPN only. Its local branches can register in their MD also if they wish.

Which MD am I in?

Have a look at this map (see right), which shows the District Electoral Divisions in each MD:
Municipal District Map Monaghan
If your group covers an area which spans two or more MD’s, you should register under the MD in which the postal address for your group is located. In most cases, this will either be a physical premises (such as a community centre) or the home address of a committee member (who may even live outside the area covered by your group)

Type of Activity (Electoral College)

The groups are organised into three broad types of activity:

  • Social Inclusion – the core objective of a Social Inclusion group will typically be to support a cohort of people who are marginalised or disadvantaged. Examples include groups which aim to support people with a disability, young people, refugees and asylum seekers, older people, women, and those living in poverty
  • Environment – the core objective of groups under this heading will be the conservation of the environment. Groups include those concerned with wildlife conservation, the promotion of sustainable living and the promotion of awareness of the impact of climate change
  • Community & Voluntary – basically, every group which doesn’t fall into one of the first two categories belongs here. Includes sports groups and area development groups.

The three groups created by splitting the membership into these three activities are known as the Electoral Colleges (don’t ask us – it’s all in the Dept Guidelines!)

Sometimes, voting for a particular issue or position may be confined to members of a particular Electoral College or Municipal District, so it’s important to make sure you’re registered correctly.

Check if your group is registered?

Registered Groups

The Network for Community, Voluntary, Social Inclusion & Environmental Groups in Co. Monaghan

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CONTACT THE PPN

ADDRESS 2nd Floor, M-Tek II Building
Knockaconny
Armagh Road
Monaghan
H18 YH59

TEL 047 30550

EMAIL ppn@monaghancoco.ie

WEB www.ppnmonaghan.ie

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