An important information meeting is taking place this Wednesday 19th October in the Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon. All Leitrim County Councillors are invited to meet with Fr Seán Healy, Social Justice Ireland, the PPN Secretariat and the LCDC reps (Local Community Development Committee).
The PPN (Public Participation Network) is the new voice of the community in Leitrim, potentially a powerful voice, with elected representatives on important local committees such as the SPCs, Joint Policing and LEADER Evaluation Committees. At the same time, Leitrim has its local authority with 18 elected Councillors, who also represent the people. It is vital that both sets of representatives communicate and build good relationships.
“Father Seán Healy was involved in the set-up of the PPNs throughout the country and is an expert on this subject,” said Mary McKiernan, PPN facilitator. “The PPN is a new structure and all of us are on a learning curve as to how it operates and what it can do. Father Healy will outline how this structure works, how it supports and empowers communities and where it stands in relation to the Local Authority. We in the PPN want to know more about how we can work together with the Councillors for the good of County Leitrim so that together we can ensure that plans for development of the County are inclusive. This meeting is to explore ways in which this can happen.”
The meeting will take place in the Bush Hotel on Wednesday at 8pm. “It is very important that all our Councillors attend this meeting.” continued Mary. “We look forward to an interesting meeting and greater understanding among all of us on the role of the PPN.”