Oficina ATLAS

Observatory Europe Ireland 2021

Local Government

Large Cities

Capital Cities

Regional or State Governments

National Government

Other Institutions

Local Government

Large Cities

Capital Cities

Regional or State Governments

National Government

Other Institutions

Community

Capital

Dublin

Population

4 941 440

Language

Irish / English

Currency

Euro

Indexes

Legislation Regarding the Regulation of Participatory Budgeting Experiences

There is no specific legislation on participatory budgeting in the country.

Outstanding Innovations

“€300k Have Your Say” is a Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiative, which has been run annually by South Dublin County Council (SDCC) since 2017. It is the first of its kind in Ireland. South Dublin County is one of 4 local authority areas in the Dublin region, with a population of 278,749.

Each year, one of the 7 local electoral areas in the county is allocated €300,000 of funding from the annual budget for projects which will benefit the local area. The projects are proposed by local residents. Anyone can submit or vote on a proposal and there are a number of methods for doing so, both online and offline. Workshops are also held to allow residents to discuss ideas and develop proposals. Proposals are assessed and shortlisted by a Steering Group of elected members according to agreed criteria. Residents can then vote on the shortlisted proposals, both online and in SDCC offices and libraries. Projects that receive the most votes, up to the total amount of €300,000, are then implemented by the council.

In 2019, 3 workshops were held with 187 project ideas submitted. From a shortlist of 19 proposals, 5,155 votes were cast with 5 winning projects selected for implementation by popular vote:

Health and Wellbeing Garden in Firhouse Community Centre (1519 votes);
Intergenerational Outdoor Activity Spaces in Glenasmole (1472 votes);
Nature trail along the river Dodder (926 votes);
Playground facilities at Ballycragh Park (782 votes);
Native tree trail in Woodlawn Park (767 votes)

“The ‘€300k Have Your Say” initiative has proved very popular and has successfully implemented many projects to the benefit of local communities

Initial Reference for the Adoption of PB in the Country

The South Dublin County Council initiative was first proposed by an independent councillor, who referenced the origins of PB in Brazil and its expansion to many other countries.

Subsequent Reference for PB Dissemination

Not to date, however other local authorities and central government have expressed an interest in the South Dublin initiative.

Impacts of COVID-19 Disease on PB

PB have been suspended: 0%
PB continued to function normally: 0%
PB have undergone changes/adaptations: 100%

Main Trends of PB in the Country During the Pandemic

South Dublin County Council postponed the 2020 iteration of ‘300k Have Your Say’ from March until autumn 2020 due to the pandemic. They are optimistic that the initiative will proceed in 2020, with a revised process. In previous cycles, online avenues for submitting proposals and voting were already very popular, so it is likely that further online methods will be pursued. The team in SDCC will review the process to ensure all those who want to participate can do so whether that is online or via revised in-person methods. For instance, virtual workshops may be held alongside outreach programmes for harder to reach groups.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact in Ireland. As of mid-July 2020, there were over 25,000 confirmed cases and 1,700 deaths. While the virus is now relatively contained, the impact on the economy and society will have much longer lasting effects. Local government finances, which were already under pressure, have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. For example, many businesses were unable to pay commercial rates, which represent around one third of revenue income for local authorities. However, the new Irish Government in June 2020, committed to “incentivize local authorities to bring forward pilot Participatory Budgeting projects” (Programme for Government, p. 119).

Additional Information

Participatory budgeting is still in its infancy in Ireland. There has been only one robust initiative, which while successful also has its own limitations.

A feasibility study examining means to further engage citizens in the local authority budgetary process recommended piloting of PB in local authorities, with the support of national government. This study was committed to in Ireland’s Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2016 -2018. As mentioned previously, in June 2020 the new Irish Government committed to incentivizing local authorities to pilot PB in their areas.