Cork City PPN (Public Participation Network) is calling for expressions of interest from those who wish to serve as representatives on Cork City Council’s Strategic Policy and Joint Policing Committees.
The PPN is an independent representative organisation that provides a bridge between the civil society and Cork City Council. It is made up of non-profit groups and organisations across the city from three sectors (Community & Voluntary, Social Inclusion, and Environment & Conservation) and it selects representatives to sit on a range of committees and bodies throughout the city.
Some of those committees are being reformed following this year’s local elections, they are the City’s Strategic Policy Committees (‘SPC’s’) and the Joint Policing Committee (JPC). The PPN is looking to spread the word among its members and any potential member organisations or groups in the city.
Speaking of the openings, PPN Coordinator Yvonne Murphy said: ‘One of our most important jobs is to grow public participation in public decision-making and our representatives are a huge part of that. By giving their time and energy they give a voice to the needs and interests of civil society at the top levels of Council decision-making, which is incredibly important to ensuring diversity is at the heart of the city’.
Commenting on the commitment required of representatives, Murphy stated: ‘Nobody’s going to get rich from these positions as they are unpaid, and there is a certain time commitment to be given, there’s no denying that. But we’re delighted to see the Council adopt measures that will make it easier for people to juggle work, other commitments, and committee appointments and we at the PPN are always there to give support, training, and a dig-out to our reps should they need it’.
The measures adopted by City Council include a schedule of meetings being set out months in advance for members so they can plan their time, holding meetings at 5.30pm in the evening to accommodate those working during the day, and holding meetings at most once every 2 months.
PPN member groups, potential member groups, and members of the public are encouraged to view details of the committee openings at www.corkcityppn.ie/getinvolved. The PPN will also hold a series of 4 public information sessions in the first week of September where PPN representatives and workers will be available to discuss these committee openings, how the PPN works, and other representative openings due to come up in the months ahead.
Murphy concluded in saying: ‘We want to engage as widely as we can, so I’d encourage anyone belonging to a non-profit group or organisation around the city, whatever its size or focus, to come along to one of our meetings or visit www.corkcityppn.ie to see about getting involved’.
For details or comments, contact:
Yvonne Murphy, Coordinator, Cork City PPN at 086 142 2747 or [email protected]
Carol Doyle, Support Worker, Cork City PPN at 021 239 7390 or [email protected]
Public Meeting Dates & Venues
- Glanmire Community Centre, Old School House, Riverstown, Tuesday 03 September, 18:30hrs
- Maryborough Hotel, Douglas, Wednesday 04 September, 18:30hrs
- Blarney Castle Hotel, Blarney, Thursday 05 September, 18:30hrs
- Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig, Friday 06 September, 18:30hrs
Membership of Cork City PPN
- To Join Cork City PPN, groups / organisations can visit corkcityppn.ie/getinvolved
- To qualify for membership of Cork City PPN, a group / organisation must
- Be active in Cork City for 1 year or more
- Have more than five (5) members
- Be non-party political and non-sectarian
- Be a minimum of one year in existence
- If a company limited by guarantee, the organisation must be not for profit
- If requested, be able to establish your genuine existence as a community or voluntary group /organisation, e.g. with
- A set of rules
- A constitution or terms of reference
- Minutes of meetings
- A website or social media presence (e.g. Facebook Page, Twitter Account, etc)
- A brochure / leaflet about your group/organisation
Openings with Cork City PPN
For convenience, we have set up an online form for both the SPC and JPC nominations process, which can be found at www.corkcityppn.ie/getinvolved.
Nominations must be received by midnight on Sunday 08 September and details of both processes, along with information on the commitment required of PPN Reps and the functions of the SPCs and JPC are set out on the nomination forms.
For details on the SPCs and JPCs, visit
