New Guide for Inclusive Community Engagement in Local Planning and Decision Making Launched
Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, has officially launched ‘A Guide for Inclusive Community Engagement in Local Planning and Decision Making’.
This new resource guide is aimed at ensuring that marginalised and disadvantaged communities have opportunities to engage and participate in local planning and decision-making.
Inclusive engagement with marginalised communities, and the organisations that represent them, will ensure that their views are reflected in local decision-making. The guide also aims to enable more sustainable development at a local level.
Local authorities, public sector bodies, community groups or any organisation committed to inclusive local decision-making can use this plain English resource.
Speaking at today’s launch, Minister Joe O’Brien said:
“I am very pleased to launch this new guide today. This community engagement resource guide will help renew and strengthen engagement with marginalised groups by local decision making bodies, and ensure better outcomes for all members of our communities.
“The voice of all members of our communities must be present in the design, implementation and review of decisions that impact on all of our lives – inclusive consultation and meaningful engagement are key to this. This is particularly important as our society grows and changes.
“I would encourage anyone involved in developing policy, leading consultations or making decisions that affect communities to use this guide.
“Ultimately, the best decisions are those which are made together, with the opportunity for everyone to share their perspective.”
In support of Ireland’s commitment to the Sustainable Development principle of ‘Leave no one behind’, the Department has worked with Pobal as well as Community Work Ireland and the Irish Local Development Network on the development of this resource guide to support inclusive participation.
This initiative is as part of a wider Dormant Accounts Funded project on the engagement of marginalised communities and is just one of a wide variety of actions being delivered under Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the whole of Government Strategy to support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024.
