LIMERICK COUNTY COMMUNITY & VOLUNTARY FORUM CONSTITUTION (Amended Feb 2004),
BUNREACHT FÓRAM POBAIL CHONTAE LUIMNIGH
MISSION STATEMENT
The Community and Voluntary Forum represents the views of the community and voluntary groups by influencing policy and decision making for the benefit of the people of County Limerick through effective communication and consultation between the County Development Board, Strategic Policy Committees, Area Committees, other relevant bodies, this Forum and especially local community and voluntary groups.
The Limerick County Community & Voluntary Forum shall comprise of forty-five representatives from the Community & Voluntary organisations in the County.
Groups/organisations must be active within County Limerick and have relevance in the locality or Electoral Area.
Groups/organisations must be in existence for a minimum of six months prior to affiliating to the Forum. Groups/ organisations must hold meetings and be broadly representative and accountable.
The Forum shall be non-political and non-sectarian and as far as possible, reflect the views of all the Community & Voluntary organisations in County Limerick.
All representatives of the Forum must always articulate and support the agreed policy and views of the Forum. However, individual members may, when representing their own local organisations, articulate and support different views provided that they do not claim these to represent the views and policy of the Forum.
The Forum shall have the administrative support of the staff of the Community & Enterprise Section, Limerick County Council.
STANDING ORDERS
The Community & Voluntary organisations in each of the five Local Government Electoral Areas of County Limerick shall elect six representatives to form a local Community & Voluntary Forum. These representatives shall then represent that area on the Limerick County Community & Voluntary Forum.
Countywide organisations shall nominate fifteen representatives to Limerick County Community & Voluntary Forum to represent the following interests:
- Sporting, Voluntary Housing, Youth, Disability, Travellers, Women, Childcare, Culture, Arts and the Irish Language.
The Limerick County Community & Voluntary Forum shall therefore consist of forty-five representatives, six from each of the Electoral Areas and fifteen from county bodies.
The methodology and system of election to the County Forum and to the Electoral Area Fora shall be agreed by the Forum and the Director of Community & Enterprise, Limerick County Council. The following three requirements must be observed in the election process:
- The need for a geographical balance.
- The need for a gender balance
- The need for different interests to be represented
Community & voluntary interests which may be represented on the Forum (in addition to countywide representatives) include the following;
- Community Councils
- Development Associations
- Disadvantaged
- Economic
- Elderly
- Environmental
- Heritage
- Rural Transport
- Tourism
The County Community & Voluntary Forum shall select representatives to the following bodies:
- The County Development Board
- Strategic Policy Committees
- The County Childcare Committee
- Other relevant bodies which require representation from the Forum, from time to time
The County Community & Voluntary Forum shall decide all matters relating to strategy or policy by a majority vote of those present and voting. Any issue on which the Forum has taken a policy decision shall not be reopened for debate until at least a year has elapsed since its initial decision.
The Forum shall decide the date and time of meetings. The Executive Committee having consulted with the Forum shall decide the agenda. The Executive Committee of the Forum shall comprise the following officers:
- Cathaoirleach
- Leas-Cathaoirleach
- Runaí
- Runaí Cúnta
- Oifigeach Caidreamh Poiblí (P.R.O.)
The members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at an annual meeting of the County Forum, which shall be held not later than eighteen months after the preceding annual meeting.
The following provisos will apply to membership of the Executive Committee:
- No member of the Executive Committee shall hold the same office for a period in excess of three consecutive years.
- Not more than two members of the Executive Committee shall come from any one Electoral Area
- Members of the Executive Committee shall, where possible, retire by rotation in order to maintain continuity in the Committee.
The Executive Committee shall, with the support of officials of the Community & Enterprise Section, Limerick County Council, look after the day-to-day workings of the Forum between meetings.
All delegations and deputations from the Forum shall include at least one member of the Executive Committee.
The Forum shall, from time to time, appoint sub-committees to enquire into or investigate matters relevant to the Forum and these sub-committees shall report their findings as soon as is practicable to the Executive Committee, who shall in turn make the relevant material known to the Forum prior to the next meeting so that it can be placed on the agenda of that meeting.
The Forum shall elect five Liaison Officers with responsibility to develop communication links between the county’s voluntary organisations, the Local Area Forum and the County Forum.
A minimum of four Area Fora meetings for each Area shall be held every calendar year.
Membership
The term of office of the Forum shall be coterminous with the term of office of Limerick County Council. Not less than six months prior to the date of election, in any local election year, the officials of Community & Enterprise Section of Limerick County Council in consultation with the Forum shall begin the process of electing a new Forum.
The following shall apply in relation to membership of the Forum:
- Membership is open to all community & voluntary groups, individuals cannot be members
- Each affiliated group/organisation is entitled to one vote for the purpose of election onto their respective Area Forum.
Disqualification of Membership
A group’s membership of the Forum can be terminated at a full meeting of the Forum and by a vote of two-thirds of the Forum membership present at the meeting.The following persons shall be disqualified from membership of the Electoral Area Fora or County Forum:
- (a) Public Representatives
- (b) Those seeking public office
Co-option / Substitution of Members
If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Forum the community & voluntary groups in the respective electoral area Forum or countywide body, as appropriate, shall select a replacement in consultation with the Director of Community & Enterprise or his nominee.
Arrangements for Meetings
A minimum of four ordinary meetings of the Forum shall be held every calendar year at a time and venue to be agreed by the Forum members
A special meeting of the Forum may be called by any three members of the Executive Committee or by at least ten members of the Forum by written application to the Cathaoirleach.
Notice of Meetings
Five clear day's notice shall be given to all Forum members of all ordinary meetings of the Forum and where possible there shall be an agreed schedule of meetings.
Want of service of notice on any member or members shall not affect the validity of the meeting Quorum. The quorum for meetings of the Forum shall be fifteen members present.
Rules of Meetings
- The Cathaoirleach shall preside over all meetings of the Forum. In the absence of the Cathaoirleach the Leas-Cathaoirleach shall preside. If neither the Cathaoirleach nor Leas-Cathaoirleach is present, a Cathaoirleach shall be selected by a majority vote of those present.
- The order of business shall be decided by the Cathaoirleach and where possible be communicated to Forum members with the notice of meeting. All relevant documentation should where possible be furnished to Forum members also with the notice of meeting.
Minutes
- The Runaí Cúnta shall have responsibility for the minutes of all meetings of the Forum and all meetings of the Executive Committee. In this, the Runaí Cúnta shall have the support of the staff of the Community & Enterprise Section, Limerick County Council.
- The minutes shall reflect a true and accurate account of decisions taken and points articulated.
- The minutes of all meetings of the Forum shall be adopted on the receipt of a proposer and seconder to adopt and the acceptance by the majority that they reflect a true and accurate account of the business of that meeting. The Cathaoirleach shall sign the minutes following their adoption.
Rules of Debate
- All matters for discussion shall relate to policies and strategies of relevance to the Forum
- Each member shall have the right to speak on any relevant issue and shall have equality with all others in making their views known
- A local issue where possible should be raised initially at local Area Forum level and then submitted in writing to the County Forum
- To conduct the order of business in an orderly fashion points already articulated should only be repeated if a new emphasis or angle relevant to the debate is being enunciated
- Meetings shall be conducted in a spirit of mutual respect and inclusiveness
- The ruling of the Cathaoirleach on a point of order shall be final
- Decisions shall be reached in the Forum by consensus where possible and by majority decision thereafter
- In the case of an equality of votes, the Cathaoirleach shall exercise his/her casting vote.
Duration of Meetings
- All meetings shall start at the appointed time or as close as possible thereafter
- If after thirty minutes later than the appointed time of starting a meeting the agreed quorum of members has not arrived, the meeting shall be cancelled and a new date scheduled by those present
- All meetings of the Forum shall be of two hours maximum duration and any item on the agenda not debated or decided shall be entered on the agenda for the next meeting of the Forum.
Non attendance
- Subject to agreement with the Director of Community & Enterprise or his representative the Forum may replace a member on the County Forum who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without legitimate reason
- A member representing the Forum on another body or committee who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without legitimate reason may also be replaced by the Forum on that committee or body.
- Any action under this section shall be taken by the Forum on the advice of the Executive Committee and in consultation with the Director of Community & Enterprise or his representative.
Finance
- All matters related to spending and finance shall be agreed with the Director of Community & Enterprise or his representative.
- All receipts and payments shall be under the control of the Director of Community & Enterprise or his representative and the authorised signature shall be the Director or person appointed by him.
- The Forum may be represented at relevant meetings, seminars and conferences and expenses of delegates shall be reimbursed from the funds of the Forum.
- The Forum shall investigate if any grants or other monies are available to further the aims of the Forum.
Other Matters
- Any matter not catered for in these standing orders may be dealt with by a ruling from the Cathaoirleach until such time as the Forum has debated and decided the issue at hand.
- No individual member of the Forum may use the Forum for political purposes.
Suspension of Standing Orders
- Standing Orders may, at any time, with the support of not less than two-thirds of those present and voting be suspended on a proposal made for any specified business. Where possible, prior notice shall be given to the Cathaoirleach of any such proposal.
