Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 September 2022
666. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department is reviewing the budget for the social inclusion and community activation programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the current budget is at 2008 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44975/22]
View answerThe Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme. The current iteration began on 1 January 2018 and will run until the end of 2023. My Department has committed over €250 million funding to the six year national programme.
The funding for SICAP is subject to the annual budgetary estimates process. It should be noted that increases in the annual allocations have been achieved over the duration of the current programme and I was delighted to have secured a 10% increase for SICAP for 2022, the largest increase since the programme was launched. This year, over €43 million was allocated to the programme, supporting front line workers in Local Development Companies to deliver SICAP on the ground.
Earlier this year, an additional €5 million funding was announced to support the Local Development Companies, through SICAP, for the community response to support people arriving from Ukraine.
While funding for SICAP was reduced after 2008, it should be noted however that since then other social inclusion measures have been initiated and funded. I recognise the vital work that the programme does in helping so many individuals and groups, by improving the life chances of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or unemployed, and I will continue to prioritise funding for SICAP within my Department’s overall voted expenditure.
