The Healthy Cities programme is a global World Health Organization (WHO) movement, set up initially in 1987 with 11 individual cities. The concept is based on the importance of local action and the key role of local governments and Local Authorities in health and sustainable development. As the WHO Healthy Cities programme expanded, National Networks were established.
National Networks connect and support all cities and counties within their country. Today, there are accredited National Networks in 20 countries in the WHO European Region, bringing together more than 1,100 cities, counties and towns. The National Healthy Cities and Counties of Ireland Network received accreditation from the WHO in 2016.
The aim of the National Healthy Cities and Counties of Ireland Network is to develop a structure to support Local Authorities to implement the Healthy Ireland Framework. The Network currently has 31 members. These are:
- Carlow County Council
- Dublin City Council
- Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council
- Fingal County Council
- Kildare County Council
- Kilkenny County Council
- Laois County Council
- Longford County Council
- Louth County Council
- Meath County Council
- Offaly County Council
- South Dublin County Council
- Westmeath County Council
- Wexford County Council
- Wicklow County Council
- Clare County Council
- Cork City Council
- Cork County Council
- Kerry County Council
- Limerick City and County Council
- Tipperary County Council
- Waterford City and County Council
- Galway City Council
- Galway County Council
- Leitrim County Council
- Mayo County Council
- Roscommon County Council
- Sligo County Council
- Cavan County Council
- Donegal County Council
- Monaghan County Council
A healthy city or county works to:
- improve health and wellbeing by creating and continually improving its physical and social environments
- develop community resources that help people to support each other and achieve their potential
- the National Healthy Cities and Counties of Ireland Network
Local Community Development Committees are helping to create and sustain healthy places for people to be born, grow, live, work and age in. Each local authority has set up an Local Community Development Committee to develop, co-ordinate and implement local and community development programmes.
Working with a range of organisations and groups, the Local Community Development Committees are ideally placed to support Healthy Ireland in response to local people’s needs. Local Community Development Committees are key partners in realising a Healthy Ireland through developing the National Healthy Cities and Counties Network of Ireland.