Ms Bairbre Nic Aongusa:

Thank you for the invitation to speak today on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development. I am joined by my colleagues Ms Aoife O’Brien and Ms Elaine Jennings. The Department of Rural and Community Development supports the Government’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, through its policies, programmes and practice. The Department’s key policy documents promote initiatives for a more participative society by creating the conditions that enable and empower individuals and communities. Examples of the supports provided by the Department that are enabling community participation and inclusion of people with disabilities include the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, the scheme to support national organisations, SSNO, supporting local authorities to develop local economic and community plans, supporting the work of local authorities in local community development committees and providing funding for projects under the Dormant Accounts Fund. I understand the committee has a particular interest in public participation networks, PPNs, so I will concentrate on them.

PPNs were established under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 to give community groups a greater say in local government decisions. They provide representation for the community sector in local authority policymaking structures such as strategic policy committees, local community development committees and joint policing committees. There is a PPN in each of the 31 local authority areas across Ireland. Any not-for-profit group led by volunteers may join their local PPN. This gives them the opportunity to take part in local authority committees and contribute to local policy conversations. More than 18,000 groups nationwide are members of their local PPN, meaning each of the 31 PPNs provides representation for several hundred community groups. PPNs are innovative structures in civic life. They are independent organisations that operate as flat structures without a hierarchy. They are inclusive, valuing the diversity in their communities and encouraging the active participation of all groups to decide on PPN policy positions. The PPNs have three colleges representing subsets of registered groups. The social inclusion college represents community groups focused on people who are excluded or at risk of exclusion from mainstream society. This includes groups which support, advocate for or provide services to people with disabilities. We estimate that each PPN has one or two dozen registered groups focused primarily on disability matters. Many PPNs around the country have made disability representation a key focus of their work.

I will highlight some examples of PPN initiatives in this area. In 2019, Kerry PPN collaborated with the Disability Federation of Ireland, DFI, and local access groups to hold a series of structured workshops regarding the accessibility of public spaces. Community members with on-the-ground experience engaged in these workshops, leading to a report recommending actions to improve the daily lives of those with disabilities in County Kerry. The report is a valuable evidence base that PPN representatives can now use on local policymaking committees to advocate for a more accessible county. The PPN for Galway city worked with Access for All Ireland and Galway City Partnership to secure funding for a project that works with public, private and community sectors to support local implementation of the UNCRPD. It aims to enable people with disabilities to identify the barriers they face in accessing buildings, amenities and services. The project works with people who have disabilities, agencies that provide relevant services and universal design professionals to develop an action plan to address the issues identified. Kilkenny PPN have collaborated with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland and the Kilkenny Access Group to draft a proposal to support the development of a braille trail on the Abbey Quarter site. The proposal includes wayfinding measures and the development of a Braille trail on the dedicated pedestrian pavement. The PPN and its partners have been working with the senior engineer and architects to incorporate the Braille trail into the site. These are just three concrete examples of how PPNs bring the voice of people with disabilities into an evidence-based policy process at local level.

The Department is committed to supporting PPNs and to further promoting inclusion in the PPNs. It is crucial that PPNs represent diverse perspectives from the community sector. To support this, next year we will commission a research project to investigate the level of diversity among the volunteers currently engaged with PPNs. If the research finds that specific population groups are underrepresented on PPNs, the researchers will consult with people in those groups to explore the factors preventing them from becoming involved. Without pre-empting the research, if it finds that there are barriers to people with disabilities in the PPN system, this initiative will uncover them. This evidence can then be used to explore how to remove those barriers and ensure PPNs truly represent all parts of the community. The Department is committed to supporting inclusive communities and to ensuring that everyone can participate fully in the PPNs. My colleagues and myself are happy to answer any questions the committee may have about PPNs or any other matters concerning the Department’s work on enabling community inclusion of people with disabilities.