Mr. David Healy:

The purpose of our presentation is to engage with the reform of local government and community development. We want to set out our engagement with local government and community development over the past several years from the perspective of sustainable development and to explain why it is important that reform strengthens the orientation towards sustainable development. In particular, we will draw on our experience of the environmental pillar since its formation in 2009 and the impact that we have had at local level compared to our experience during the boom, when our warnings went unheeded. Part of the reason we were not heard was because we were formally outside the system and we did not have opportunities to present our case.

Mr. Michael Ewing is co-ordinator of the environmental pillar and an environmental scientist with a background in business and research in participatory democracy. He represents the pillar on the National Economic and Social Council and Roscommon County Development Board. Ms Emer Ó Siochrú is an eco-architect, a farmer and a green business woman and she represents the pillar on the Rathmines Pembroke Community Partnership. Mr. Cillian Lohan works for the Irish Natural Forestry Foundation in Manch, County Cork, and is one of nine Irish representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee. He represents the environmental pillar on Cork City Partnership and Cork county transport SPC. I have a background in law and environmental science and work for Oxfam Ireland on climate policy. I represent the pillar on the Northside Partnership and am a former county councillor.