The role of Representatives
Representatives play an important role in supporting community voices to be heard in local decision-making.
Representatives are elected by member groups and act on behalf of the wider PPN network, rather than representing individual organisations or personal views. Their role is to bring shared community perspectives, lived experience and local priorities into discussions, not to make decisions on behalf of the PPN or its members.
Representatives do not make decisions on policies, plans or services. Decisions are made by the local authority committees and bodies on which they sit. Representatives contribute to these processes by sharing community views, raising issues and feeding information back to the wider network.
Representatives also help keep member groups informed by reporting back on discussions, issues and outcomes, supporting communication and shared understanding across the network. This role is carried out in line with national guidelines for Public Participation Networks and is supported by the PPN through coordination, information-sharing and training.
Committees and decision-making spaces
Representatives from South Dublin County Public Participation Network take part in a range of local authority and public decision-making structures where policies, plans and services that affect communities are discussed and developed.
This includes representation on key structures such as:
- South Dublin County Council Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)
- Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs)
These committees are responsible for decision-making. The role of PPN Representatives within these spaces is to contribute community perspectives and lived experience, rather than to direct or determine outcomes.
Representatives may also take part in other relevant working groups or forums as they arise. Through this involvement, community experience is brought into discussions on issues such as community development, social inclusion, environment and climate action, housing, transport and local services.