Community Forum

What is a community forum?

A local Community Forum is established for each project that qualifies for an EirGrid Community Benefit scheme. Each community forum will develop a strategy for their community.

What will the community forum do?

  • Ensure communities are at the heart of the decision making over the project lifetime.

  • Provide relevant input and key local knowledge to assist the project team in decision making.

  • Work with community groups and organisations to build trust, identify local needs, grow partnerships and deliver on local projects.

  • Provide governance and transparency around the implementation of Community Benefit.

  • Receive regular updates from EirGrid team members on project delivery.

  • To advise EirGrid on the most effective approach to communicating feedback and key milestones to the wider community.

The role of the forum in relation to the Community Benefit

The Community Forum provides advice and guidance on all aspects of the Community Fund.

This includes:

  • Working with EirGrid in identifying organisations and potential projects to ensure maximum impact of the community benefit in the area.
  • Identifying partnership and collaboration opportunities.
  • Agreeing the criteria and parameters of the fund.
  • Accessing proposals for discussion and consideration.
  • Inputting key local knowledge around area needs and priorities.
  • Provide feedback at key stages in the process.

Forum members will actively promote the Community Benefit in their area and encourage organisations to engage.

Community forum chairperson

Each community forum will be independently chaired. The Chairperson will have skills in facilitation, capacity building, community development or rural development background.

Community Forum members

Members of the community forum will be made up of local stakeholders.

This may include representatives of:

  • community councils,
  • local community groups,
  • sustainable energy communities,
  • local authorities,
  • Chamber of Commerce,
  • local development companies,
  • other relevant state agencies,

We now have community forums established on the following grid infrastructure projects: