Strategic Policy Committee Nominations

Nominations sought from PPN member Groups to Leitrim County Council SPC Committees

Did you know that PPN Representatives perform a really important function on behalf of PPNs and are elected by PPN member groups to contribute to Leitrim County Council Boards/Committees & other Non-LA Boards/Committees.

Local Authorities are required to establish Strategic Policy Committees to consider matters connected with the formulation, development, monitoring and review of policy which relate to the functions of the local authority and to advise the authority on those matters.

For the 2024 SPC elections, a total of 10 seats are up for nominations in all four SPCs. Most SPCs have been renamed and reorganised in 2024 with different responsibilities than before.

PPN Reps ensure that the voice of the local community is represented

One of the ways this is done is through the Strategic Policy Committees (SPC’s). The role of the SPCs, as committees of the Council, is to consider and advise the Corporate Policy Group and the full Council on matters connected with the formulation, development, monitoring, and review of policy which relate to the functions of the Council, and which are linked to the Corporate Plan.

SPCs membership includes elected Councillors, Sectoral Representatives for the SPCs will be drawn from the following sectors: Agriculture / Farming, Environmental / Conservation, Development / Construction, Business / Commercial, Trade Union, Community / Voluntary and Social Inclusion.

Leitrim PPN have vacancies on the following Leitrim County Council SPCs:

Economic and Enterprise Development

This SPC is responsible for all areas of policy concerning:

1 seat is open for the Community and Voluntary Pillar.

Physical Environment

This SPC is responsible for all areas of policy concerning:

1 seat is open for the Environment Pillar
2 seats are open for the Community and Voluntary Pillar

Local Development

This SPC is responsible for all areas of policy concerning:

1 seat is open for the Community and Voluntary Pillar
1 seat is open for the Social Inclusion Pillar

Social Development

This SPC is responsible for all areas of policy concerning:

2 seats are open for the Community and Voluntary Pillar
2 seats are open for the Social Inclusion Pillar

Criteria and Process

See the member directory to see which Pillar your organisation is in.

Where there is more than 1 nominee for any 1 seat an election and voting process will be activated.

Each full member group in the relevant MD has ONE vote for EACH seat.

• Only Full Member Groups who are over 6 months in existence can make nominations or vote in PPN elections. See the members directory for our member groups.
• A term for a PPN Representative is 5 years with a second 5-year term allowable.
• SPCs usually meet at least four times a year, during the day with a mix of in person/online/hybrid.
• Each Group can nominate one candidate only per seat. If groups nominate more than one candidate, the first nomination received will be accepted.
• Candidates may be nominated for more than one of the above positions but can only hold one seat.
• Nominees must have no political affiliations.

Restrictions

• Elected representatives of Local Authorities & people who have run for office in the last 12 months cannot be nominated through this process.
• If anyone nominated through this process subsequently decides to enter electoral politics, they must immediately resign their PPN representative role.
• A person who has been an elected representative of any level of Government (local or national) should not be chosen to represent PPN in any representative role for one year after completing their term of office.

If you are unsure on any of the above or if you would like to enquire about registering your group as a Full Member of the PPN please contact

Responsibilities of a SPC Representative

• Work as a team with the other PPN Reps on the SPC.
• Reflect views/policies as agreed by the pillar.
• Report back to the PPN on developments/issues through the Linkage Groups

Leitrim County Council will provide ongoing training and support for members of the SPCs to support them in their work:

• Workshops on policy to cover the areas within the remit of the SPCs
• Briefings on the role and functions of local government
• Any other training deemed necessary by the Council

Application Form and Deadline

We will be accepting nominations for the above PPN Representative positions until 12pm on Monday 30^th Sept 2024. Please click the button below to go to Google Docs to fill in the nomination form.

What are SPC’s?

The statutory basis for Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs) is set out in section 48 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended by section 41 of the 2014 Act.

SPC’s: –

• Assist the council in the formulation, development and review of policy;
• Reflect the major functions or services of a local authority within the broader context;
• Are tailored to the size, membership and administrative resources of a local authority but generally be 5 in number; and
• Have one third of their membership drawn from sectors relevant to the committees’ work.

Each local authority has established SPC’s which bring together both elected members, and people actively working with social, economic, cultural and environmental bodies to develop and review policies related to council services.

The SPCs thus provide elected members with external views as they discharge their strategic role in the development of the local authority, including their policy development and oversight roles within the local authority.

The elected representatives have a similar role to that of a board of directors. The SPC system provides them with a better focus and enhanced capacity for involvement in policy formulation, review and evaluation with inbuilt assistance of relevant sectoral interests and the support of a Director of Services.

SPCs prepare the groundwork for policies which are then decided on by the local authority, including as appropriate at municipal district level. Accordingly, local sectoral interests, including trade union, farming, environmental and community & voluntary sectors, along with the business community, constitute one third of the membership of SPCs.

The council is and remains the decision-making authority, and it is the task of the SPCs, as committees of the council, only to advise and assist the council in its work. The success of the SPCs is crucially dependent on the active involvement of councillors and on a positive mindset from all involved.