Guidelines of criteria for Membership of Electoral College of
County Longford Public Participation Networks (PPN)
As part of the local Government Reform Act 2014, the existing town authorities were replaced by a
comprehensive system of municipal districts, integrating town and county governance. This system is
in force since 1st June 2014. This Government Reform provides for the establishment of a Public
Participation Network (PPN) in County Longford. The PPN is the county’s civic participation and
representation structure for electing community representatives onto decision making bodies.
Longford County Council proposes to establish the Public Participation Network in collaboration with
the Longford Community and Voluntary Forum.
In order for the Network to work effectively and in compliance with Data Protection protocols, it is
now necessary to compile one County Register for all (a) Environmental, (b) Social Inclusion and
(c) Community and Voluntary interest groups within the county.
Please find a copy of the PPN Affiliation Form enclosed along with some guidelines for your
assistance in completion of this form. Please return completed Form to:
Siobhan Cronogue
Co Longford Public Participation Network
c/o Community & Enterprise Section
Longford County Council
Great Water Street
Longford
The deadline for registration is October 17th
If you have any further queries please contact 087 261 5583 or e-mail: [email protected]
The following Criteria are required for membership:
All Groups
1. The organisation must be a not for profit organisation.
2. The organisation must be formally organised with a constitution
3. The organisation must have been in existence for a period of at least 12 months prior to an
application for membership.
4. The organisation must be an independent and legally discrete body, and not an organisation
managing a project with a limited life span.
5. The organisation must be able to demonstrate a substantial level of activity in promoting its
aims and objectives over a period of at least 12 months prior to application for membership.
(a) Environmental Interest Groups.
The National Environmental Pillar has the responsibility for validating the membership of the
Environmental Electoral Colleges of the new PPNs and has set out the following additional criteria.
1. The primary objectives and activities of the organisation must be Environmental (i.e.
ecological) protection and / or environmental sustainability.
2. Single issue protest groups are not eligible for membership.
3. No organisation whose executive board contains a representative or representatives appointed
by any government department, semi-state body or local authority shall be admitted to
membership. However, this does not exclude individuals from sitting on the board in a
personal capacity.
4. The organisation must have accounts or a Balance Sheet/ Profit and Loss account from at
least one of the previous two years.
(b) Social Inclusion Interest Groups
What is Social Inclusion - Social Inclusion is a process, which assists people to participate fully in
life from an economic, social and cultural perspective. – If a person is "excluded" from society,
he/she does not have equal access to services, facilities, resources, power, and opportunity.
A Social Inclusion Group is ultimately about involving people in identifying the causes of poverty,
inequality and social exclusion. It is also about identifying possible solutions and taking action to
address these.
(c) Community and Voluntary Interest Groups
All groups not specified under the above categories should register under this heading.
Key Principles of Working:
The Public Participation Network will

Implement and abide by good governance structures.

Work in an inclusive, respectful, transparent, accountable and collaborative manner.

Act as a vehicle to gather feedback and input into policies and plans being developed by local
authorities, reflecting both areas of disagreement and, where there is no consensus, the range
of views.
The Public Participation Network will operate in a manner that recognises that the sectors are broad
and made up of people with many different opinions. It is not expected that the Public Participation
Network will come up with a “one voice response” but that it will feed back the issues and
suggestions raised by a broad range of environmental, community and voluntary groups. It is
recognised that where contradictory responses are presented to the local authority, the ultimate
responsibility for resolving these in the finalisation of policies will rest with the elected members.