Citizens' parliament to meet Limerick as part of European project

LIMERICK is to be home to a new citizens parliament which aims to be reflective of Irish society.

Mary Immaculate College academics are looking for 20 people to join the assembly, which will focus on media and democracy.

Parliaments like these are democratic tools to increase the voice of citizens by carefully organising debates around certain issues, and supporting its participants to form a number of resolutions which will contribute to society’s improvement.

A European-wide project, it is being led here in Ireland by Dr Rosemary Day, who is the head of media and communication studies at the college in the city.

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The citizens parliament will meet at its South Circular Road campus on four Saturdays: March 22, April 5, April 26 and May 10.

Ireland is working alongside nine other European nations in bringing a citizens parliament under a massive continent-wide research project to set out ways to strengthen democracy.

But Ireland is the only country whose parliament will not meet in its capital city.

“We decided Limerick city and county is as representative of Ireland as anywhere else, so why not bring it here,” said Dr Day.

“Why should Dublin be the only place which represents Ireland? A lot of Ireland lives outside Dublin.”

Twenty members are required to join the assembly, and expressions of interest are now being sought.

Dr Day, pictured above, said: “We will look to see a more or less 50-50 split of male and female. We’ll see if we have a mix of ages from 18 upwards. Do we have a range of diversity, and do we have people who are representative of different minorities in the community?”

She said the impact of the parliament will be felt widely, and it will be a real way of shaping the future from Limerick.

Each meeting of the parliament will see an information session, before group work. Then in the afternoon, the parliament will sit to present formal resolutions.

“Two of the people from the parliament will go on an all-expenses paid trip to Brussels to present the resolutions of the parliament to MEPs and the European Commission,” said Dr Day.

There will be other opportunities to link in with local politicians, she added.

The Mary Immaculate College academic is keen to ensure people who have little interest in politics are present, as well as those who are fully engaged.

Each participant will get €400 in gift vouchers if they take part in all four parliamentary sittings.

For more information, email medemap@mic.ul.ie.