Key Stakeholders

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (the local authority)

The council was responsible for setting up Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN and part-funds the PPN. The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN is independent of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council but it gets support from the Council’s Community and Cultural Development Department.

Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs)

These committees develop, monitor and review policies which affect the functions of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and give advice to the Council. The SPCs include members of the local authority, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN representatives and other stakeholders. The Strategic Policy Committees have no role in the way operational services are run — such as fixing roads or cutting grass.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has six Strategic Policy Committees that cover various policy areas. These are:

The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN has between three and five seats on each Strategic Policy Committee.

The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)

This is a group of agencies that work together to co-ordinate community development in the county.

Funding
The LCDC is responsible for co-ordinating, planning and overseeing local and community development funding.

Linking agencies
When putting in place local and community development programmes, the LCDC links the different agencies and the work being done. It aims to improve the co-ordination between agencies so they can deliver better services.

Promoting engagement
The LCDC promotes active public participation and community engagement in local and community development programmes.

Planning
The LCDC prepares the Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP), which focuses on improving the quality of life and the well-being of communities.

The LECP identifies the goals the council needs to focus on to develop and support local economic and community development. It then sets out how these goals can be achieved up to the year 2021.

Collaborating
The LCDC brings together representatives from the following organisations:

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC);
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Public Participation Network (DLR PPN);
Southside Partnership (SSP);
Health Service Executive (HSE);
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP);
Tusla, Child and Family Agency;
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber of Commerce;
Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board (DDLETB);
Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).
Irish Farming Association (IFA).

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN has five seats out of 19 on the LCDC.

Joint Policing Committee (JPC)

This committee works to develop greater consultation, co-operation and accountability among:

An Garda Síochána;
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council;
Elected representatives; and
Community representatives.

They work together to manage policing and crime issues across the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown PPN has four seats on the JPC.

Department of Rural and Community Development

This government department is responsible for developing and funding PPNs nationally.

National PPN Advisory Group

This group advises the Department of Rural and Community Development on the development and monitoring of PPNs. The membership of the advisory group includes local and national stakeholders such as:

Local PPN volunteers;
PPN workers;
Local government officials; and
Representatives from the national Community and Voluntary, Environmental and Social Inclusion sectors.

National PPN Workers Network

The National PPN Workers Network exists to support PPN staff to:

Share best practice;
Work collectively on projects and highlight issues;
Nominate representatives onto the National PPN Advisory Group; and
Engage with PPN stakeholders at a national level.

Social Justice Ireland (SJI)

This is an independent group which focuses on developing ideas and policies which it believes will improve social justice.
It supports the development of PPNs by:

Organising regional meetings for PPNs to share information;
Providing training to PPNs and county councils about public participation; and
Advising PPN Secretariats, representatives and resource workers.

Social Justice Ireland is also a member of the National PPN Advisory Group as a representative of the Community and Voluntary sector.