Six Dublin City PPN members and staff attended the PPN National Conference in Limerick last week, alongside hundreds of other delegates from the 31 PPNs across the country. The national conference took place in the Strand Hotel and was hosted by colleagues in Limerick PPN. The two-day event was an opportunity to learn more about other PPNs, to hear from the Department of Rural and Community Development, to attend workshops, and to enjoy Limerick city.
Day one started with opening presentations from the Mayor of Limerick, the Limerick PPN Secretariat, and the Department of Rural and Community Development. There was a presentation about the implementation of the PPN Roadmap, and a celebration of the PPNs being in existence for ten years, since 2014.
After lunch, delegates attended one of five excursions to the Kilmurry Arts and Heritage Centre, the Northside Family Resource Centre, to the People’s Park for a soundwalk, or to the Limerick Civic Trust. Alternatively, delegates could stay in the hotel to enjoy networking and to learn about a range of great projects and initiatives, delivered by member groups of the PPN.
A Gala Dinner took place in the evening, during which Minister for State, with responsibility for Community Development, Charities and Integration, Joe O’Brien, TD, formally announced that PPNs would be given an increase to their budgets in 2025. The Minister of State sent a message of support and encouragement to the sixth national PPN conference.
Addressing the delegates via a pre-recorded video message, Minister O’Brien said, “As we look to the next 10 years of PPNs, I am pleased to announce that I have secured additional funding for PPNs in Budget 2025…so, from next January, each PPN will receive just over €100,000 in core funding from my department, more than double the original allocation of €50,000 each in 2015, and an increase of almost 20% on 2024”.
Day two began with an update from Limerick City and County Council called, “Collaboration and Understanding”, which led into parallel workshops on wellbeing, climate coaches, citizens assemblies and/or the community energy charter. Again, delegates could choose which workshop to attend, and this was all finished off with soup and sandwiches, after conference closed at 1.00pm
The Dublin City PPN members and staff who attended conference said that they “really enjoyed it”, “found if very useful to hear from other PPNs and find out how they are doing it” and “wouldn’t have missed it for the world”.
Dublin City PPN thanks Limerick PPN for hosting the national conference and for the DRCD for supporting it, and to Minister Joe O’Brien for securing additional funding for the 2025 budget. We look forward to spending it wisely, to increase the quality of life for the people who live, work, study and visit Dublin City.