Information
Minister Jim O’Callaghan launched the 2025 awareness campaign targeting misuse of illegal fireworks and warned against the serious dangers of illegal fireworks, and the strict penalties for their misuse. Tim O’Mahony, Chief Executive Officer of PPN member group, Irish Guide Dogs, highlighted the dangers Halloween poses for Guide and Assistance Dogs and their owners, and said, “while our dogs are highly trained to cope with stress, the anxiety caused by fireworks is beyond what any dog can do”. PPN member groups are asked to share details from the campaign here and to call the Garda Confidential Line: 1800 666 111 if they have information about the sale or supply of illegal, or unlicenced fireworks.
S3 Solutions were commissioned by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) in February 2024, to undertake an independent and objective research study on the barriers to participation in Public Participation Networks (PPNs), and you can read the findings of this research here.
There will be a virtual launch of this report on Wednesday 12 November, from 6.00pm – 7.00pm here.
Public Jobs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), invite people from immigrant backgrounds to an online Information Session, on career opportunities in the public service. The online session is on Thursday 16 October, from 5.30pm – 7.00pm and you can sign up for the link here.
As part of Climate Action Week from 13 – 19 October, you are invited to a session on Air Quality Forecasts on Wednesday 15 October, from 6.00pm – 8.00pm, at Tailor’s Hall, 8 Back Lane, Dublin 8, D08 X2A3 for a focus group discussion (FGD), about air quality forecasts and a new smartphone app, which can help people engage more. For other events taking place during Climate Action Week go here.
Consultations
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage launched a short public consultation, during the summer about local democracy. You can read Dublin City PPN’s submission, alongside other submissions here.
The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE), invite submissions on their consultation on the development of Ireland’s Social Climate Plan. You can find out how to submit to this consultation here and the consultation is open until 23 October.
PPN Training and Support Sessions
PPN member groups are invited to a FREE training session with Clare O’Connor on “how to write effective submissions for public consultations,” in person from 10.00am – 12.30pm in the Carmichael Centre, on Thursday 23 October. And/or online from 7.00pm – 8.30pm on Thursday 23 October. Please email Siobhán at if you would like to attend the in person or online session. And you can read more about both sessions here.
You can access the full programme of the PPN autumn season of training sessions here.
Last week we enjoyed two online and in-person sessions with Evelyn Fitzpatrick, who delivered sessions on “how to write effective grant applications” and you can read a summary of these sessions here.
Updates from PPN Representatives, and Secretariat
The main aims of the PPN are to offer information and capacity building training to member groups, so that they can more actively participate in local authority decision making. To that end, the PPN has 21 representatives on seven Dublin City Council Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs), and the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).
Each representative comes from a pillar: the community and voluntary pillar, or the social inclusion pillar, or the environmental pillar. And these pillars have working groups. Consultant facilitator, Ellenora Lynch is offering support sessions to each of these pillar working groups throughout the autumn.
The Environmental Pillar Working Group meetings are here.
The Community and Voluntary Pillar Working Group meetings are here.
The Social Inclusion Pillar Working Groups meeting are (to be confirmed)
The LCDC working group meeting are here.
You can watch the PPN Representatives in their committee meetings on the WebTV live, or from the archive here.
All pillar working groups, will be feed back to the Plenary meeting on 20 November, at the Friends of the Elderly offices, on Bolton Street.
