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The PEACEPLUS Partnership Committee
The Louth PEACEPLUS Partnership was established in 2022 and is a subcommittee of the Louth Local Community Development Committee (LCDC). The initial aim of the partnership was the preparation of the Peace and Reconciliation Action Plan for County Louth. This plan sets out strategic responses to locally identified needs as determined within the parameters of the themes of the PEACEPLUS 1.1 programme. Going forward, the Partnership is responsible for the implementation of the PEACEPLUS Action Plan and includes the monitoring and evaluation of the plan over the lifetime of the programme and ensuring that the Action Plan aligns with the Louth Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP).
Formation of the Partnership
The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) who administer the PEACEPLUS funding, had outlined criteria for membership of the Partnership. Their PEACEPLUS consultation process had identified a need to widen the engagement of those across each local council area in peace building, including those who may not have engaged in peace building work or those who felt marginalised from the programme previously.
The Partnership has been formed based on their representation of the demographics, societal representation and geographical make-up of Louth. It is comprised of four pillars
- Elected members, each representing an electoral area of Louth.
- Relevant statutory bodies representing core groups.
- Social partners (geographical & community representatives & civil society).
- Social partners (PEACEPLUS target groups & those under-represented).
As a result, the following four membership pillars were recommended for inclusion in each PEACEPLUS Partnership.
The Partnership includes members from
- Public sector bodies;
- Government departments and State agencies;
- Youth organisations;
- Community and voluntary sector organisations;
- Colleges of Further Education;
- Business federations.
A commitment to equality was at the forefront during the creation of the PEACEPLUS Partnership committee. The Partnership includes representatives form a wide range of backgrounds including key target groups such as the Church of Ireland, Ex Political Prisoners (Failte Abhaile), the LGBTQIA+ community (Outcomers) & Immigrant communities, (Culture Connect) among others. Nominations for the social partners were sought through an open Public Participation Network (PPN) recruitment process. Elected members bring balance in terms of gender, religion & political views.
The PPN were crucial in the establishment of the PEACEPLUS Partnership. They engaged with and recruited key social partners.
The PEACEPLUS Partnership Committee is supported by the Council’s Peace Secretariat team. The Chief Executive of Louth County Council acts as the Chairperson of the Committee. The PEACEPLUS Programme Manager will support and advise the PEACEPLUS Partnership on the implementation of the PEACEPLUS Action Plan for Louth.
The Partnership are governed by The PEACEPLUS Partnership Agreement to which they are all signatories. Operationally they must meet at least four times per annum and a quorum system ensures representation. A process to register and record any conflicts of interest on behalf of PEACEPLUS Partnership members has been established.
Useful Contact Information:
The Peace Plus team:
peaceplus@louthcoco.ie
042 932 4240
