Membership

The Built Environment Committee is a Policy Committee of the Council of An Taisce. The membership of this committee is open to all members of An Taisce who have requested or been invited to join it. Non-members of An Taisce may also be invited to join the committee as associate members of the Built Environment Committee but have no voting rights. The membership as approved by the Council is for one year in the first instance commencing at the first meeting of the Council following the AGM. Members may be re-elected annually and there are no limits to the numbers of members for this committee. The Board of Management can also fill any casual vacancies which may occur during the course of the year.

Chair

The Chair of the Built Environment Committee will be appointed by the Council of An Taisce at the first meeting following the AGM. The Chair may be reappointed for a period of three years consecutively.

Meetings

The members of the committee will meet not less than four times a year and the quorum for the meetings will be five members. Motions will be carried by a simple majority with the Chair having the casting vote. The Chair will ensure that there is an agreed report for each meeting and the Chair will report to the Council and the Board of Management on the proceedings at the meeting. This may be done orally, in writing or by email. All public communications will be done through the An Taisce public relations officer designated by Council. Communication with members of the Built Environment Committee will be by email or other methods as agreed by the members and communication with the wider An Taisce membership will be through the An Taisce magazine and the ezine newsletter. Information for the general public as well as the members will also be made available on the An Taisce website under the Built Environment Committee link. Any sensitive material will scrutinised by reference to the public relations officer before publication.

Staff Attendance

Staff may attend the committee meetings at the discretion of the Chair and or at the request of the members of Built Environment Committee.

Function of the Built Environment Committee

The role of the committee is as follows:

• to consider all matters pertaining to the Built Environment
• to receive reports on these matters from the Director and staff
• to advise the Director and staff on the work programme for the Built Environment
• to consider issues where An Taisce has been invited to provide a response or issues where An Taisce would be expected to have an opinion. This will include public consultations, developments and planning matters which impinge on the Built Environment to make recommendations to the Council and the Board of Management on matters relating to the Built Environment. The Council/Board of Management however will be responsible for a final decision on these recommendations.

Approved by Council on 13th September 2014.