Galway’s PeopleTalk pilot aims to give grassroots say on Government reform

An innovative pilot scheme will be launched in Galway, aimed at giving a voice to the ordinary people on Government reform – a twelve-person ‘jury’ will hold a series of public meetings to garner opinions.

The ‘PeopleTalk’ initiative – which was formed by the Jesuits in Ireland – is supported by the Government, as well as the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Independents.

It believes that elected councillors and public servants are limited in their ability to bring about change because they are “caught up in the system”.

The scheme will be launched in Galway on June 18 by former RTE presenters Anne Doyle and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh at a public meeting, which will be chaired by Daithí Ó Ceallaigh, Chairman of the Press Council and former UN ambassador.

A twelve-person jury will be elected, which will then hold public meetings throughout the city and county, where it will elicit from ordinary people what their experience of public services is and how they think the services and their delivery might be improved.

Pat Coyle of the Jesuit Communications Centre explained: “They will meet with senior public servants in the various public bodies operating, bouncing ideas off them. At the end of this process they will finalise their deliberations and present  concrete suggestions about how the organisation of public services could be improved – who does what, can it be done better, should some services be transferred to other bodies?

“It’s about giving ordinary people an opportunity to have their say on how the machinery of Government works.”

Read full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.