I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 to 555, inclusive, together.
My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State and is being implemented on a transitional basis until the end of March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) on 1 April 2015.
In accordance with the Public Spending Code, legal advice, good practice internationally and in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to clients, SICAP is subject to a public procurement process, which is in its final stages. Tenderers have now been informed of the outcome of their tender and Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are in the process of issuing contracts to the successful tenderers.
It should be noted that as there is currently a 14 day standstill period in place, the public procurement process is still ongoing and, therefore, confidentiality requirements continue to apply. Following contract signature, Pobal will publish a Contract Award Notice in the Official Journal of the EU (http://ted.europa.eu /) and on the eTenders website (www.etenders.gov.ie ) announcing the results of the procurement process. Such notice is likely to be published in early April 2015.
In relation to the Dublin Central area, as referred to in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 4 March 2015, my Department has continued to ensure that LCDP services, for the communities in the Dublin Central area, have been maintained in a coordinated manner through LCDP interim funding arrangements until 31 March 2015.
In terms of the transition thereafter, funding of some €0.6 million, separate to SICAP, is being provided to certain Dublin Central groups (former Community Development Projects), pending agreement with Dublin City Council and the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) on an optimum delivery mechanism for the area. This funding is entirely separate to the €0.63 million which is being provided to the Dublin Central area under SICAP. The groups in question are:
- An Siol
- Cabra
- Lourdes Youth and Community
- Nascadh
- North Wall Women’s Centre
- Robert Emmet
- South Inner City Community Development Association
- Community After Schools Project.