Written Answers Nos. 640-645
640. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason for the delay in commencing the new SICAP programme in Galway to the end of March 2024; if his Department was in consultation with Galway County Council's LCDC on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53513/23]
View answerMy Department’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting rural and urban communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration.
The procurement process for SICAP 2024-2028 is currently ongoing. Galway County Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), the Contracting Authority for the delivery of SICAP in County Galway, are currently evaluating the tenders received for the 3 Contract Areas; Galway East, Galway West and Galway Islands.
Due to unforeseen delays in the procurement process, Galway County LCDC in consultation with my Department Officials have issued a broadcast via the eTenders system to all tenderers in Galway County, advising that the current SICAP Contract will be extended for a period of three months to the end of March 2024, to allow time for the new SICAP contract to be put in place.
This ensures that a fair, transparent and robust process is implemented in the awarding of the new contracts whilst also ensuring the vital work the programme does in supporting those most disadvantaged and marginalised in society is continued in County Galway.
My main priority is to ensure the continuation of SICAP service delivery while the new SICAP 2024 - 2028 tender evaluation process is concluding and new contracts are put in place.
641. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of bids sought for the delivery of the new SICAP programme; the number of contracts that have been now awarded; when the remaining bids will be examined and contracts awarded; the reason for the delay with the roll-out of this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53514/23]
View answerMy Department's Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme which aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals.
The procurement process for the next iteration of SICAP 2024-2028 is currently ongoing. The SICAP procurement process is run on a national basis managed by Local Authorities/Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs). Formal requests for tender for the relevant 53 individual contract areas (lots) were published by the 33 LCDCs on eTenders on Monday 17th July.
As the deliberative process is still ongoing in a number of areas, I am unable to address all the questions raised by the Deputy. However, I can confirm that the evaluation process is well underway, with varying levels of progress across areas. Final evaluations have completed in the majority of contract areas with evaluations ongoing in other areas.
Due to unforeseen delays in the procurement process, LCDCs in Galway County and in Meath, following consultation with my Department Officials, have issued a broadcast via the eTenders system to all tenderers in their areas, advising that the current SICAP Contract in those areas will be extended for a period of three months to the end of March 2024, to allow time for the new SICAP contracts to be put in place.
This ensures that a fair, transparent and robust process is implemented in the awarding of the new contracts, whilst also ensuring the vital work the programme does in supporting those most disadvantaged and marginalised in society, is continued.
642. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide all streams of financial supports and funding available from her Department and the amount of funding available, in tabular form. [53562/23]
View answerMy Department provides funding through a range of schemes and programmes aimed at supporting our rural and community development objectives. Details of all schemes managed by my Department, and current and pending funding calls, can be found on our website at www.gov.ie/drcd/. Information on future funding calls will be made available on the website in due course, as the details become available.
Budget 2024 provides my Department with a gross allocation of €431 million. This will provide €210 million for capital investment, with the remaining €221 million for current expenditure. These allocations represent a core funding increase of €4 million for capital and €12 million for current, compared to 2023. The capital increase reflects the expenditure ceilings set out in the National Development Plan.
Over €205 million in funding is available for the Rural Development programme, including supporting schemes such as Town and Village Renewal, LEADER and the Rural Regeneration Development Fund. This includes additional funding for the Local Improvement Scheme and CLÁR, bringing their funding levels to €13 million and €8.7 million respectively.
Over €225 million has been secured for the Community Development Programmes. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), and the Community Services Programme, will have combined core funding of over €100 million. The allocation for Community Development also provides funding of €21 million to support the Community Centre Investment Fund in 2024 – delivering upgrades to existing centres and allowing investment in new centres where they are needed, in both rural and urban areas. Budget 2024 also provides €11 million in current funding to assist with the community response to the Ukraine crisis under SICAP and through volunteering supports.
The Revised Estimates for 2024 are currently being finalised, with publication by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform expected in the coming weeks. That publication will set out the exact allocation provisions for 2024. The table below provides information on the original allocations made for each programme area in the original 2023 Revised Estimate for the Department. The equivalent information will be set out in the Revised Estimate 2024 once published.
|
REV 2023 |
Current |
Capital |
Total |
|
V42 - RURAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (GROSS) |
197,981 |
226,000 |
423,981 |
|
A - RURAL DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL AFFAIRS & ISLANDS |
34,894 |
166,716 |
201,610 |
|
A.1 - ADMINISTRATION - PAY |
7,477 |
0 |
7,477 |
|
A.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY |
885 |
96 |
981 |
|
A.3 - WESTERN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION |
2,382 |
0 |
2,382 |
|
A.4 - RURAL SUPPORTS |
12,351 |
19,856 |
32,207 |
|
A.5 - LEADER |
0 |
46,000 |
46,000 |
|
A.6 - REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
2,260 |
1,120 |
3,380 |
|
A.7 - RURAL REGENERATION AND DEVELOPMENT |
0 |
95,000 |
95,000 |
|
A.8 - ISLANDS |
9,539 |
4,644 |
14,183 |
|
B - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT |
157,984 |
59,284 |
217,268 |
|
B.1 - ADMINISTRATION - PAY |
5,344 |
0 |
5,344 |
|
B.2 - ADMINISTRATION - NON PAY |
761 |
64 |
825 |
|
B.3 - SUPPORTS FOR COMMUNITY & VOLUNTARY SECTOR |
19,844 |
1 |
19,845 |
|
B.4 - SICAP - LOCAL/REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS |
53,266 |
0 |
53,266 |
|
B.5 - LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES |
2,405 |
0 |
2,405 |
|
B.6 - SUPPORTS FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES |
6,233 |
1,267 |
7,500 |
|
B.7 - DORMANT ACCOUNTS MEASURES |
9,897 |
2,673 |
12,570 |
|
B.8 - PROGRAMME FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION |
4,317 |
2,650 |
6,967 |
|
B.9 - WATER SAFETY IRELAND |
1,424 |
0 |
1,424 |
|
B.10 - LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHIVE SERVICE |
1,102 |
6,629 |
7,731 |
|
B.11 – CEP (INCLUDING COMMUNITY CENTRE INVESTMENT) |
1 |
16,000 |
16,001 |
|
B.12 - COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMME |
52,390 |
0 |
52,390 |
|
B.13 - ESF SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND |
1,000 |
0 |
1,000 |
|
B.14 - UKRAINE SUPPORTS - COMMUNITY REC FUND |
0 |
30,000 |
30,000 |
|
C - CHARITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY |
5,103 |
0 |
5,103 |
643. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding her Department will make available to Tidy Towns groups in Clare in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53604/23]
View answerThe Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique community movement which has a huge impact on our communities throughout Ireland. It is an important and effective sustainability initiative both from an environmental and community perspective. It encourages communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future, the national rural development policy.
I am very conscious of the work undertaken by Tidy Towns Groups across the country and of the costs involved in this work. With this in mind, I have put in place direct financial supports to groups in recent years. At the national awards ceremony in Croke Park on the 6th of October, where I announced Abbeyleix as Ireland's Tidiest Town for 2023, I also announced a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in their initiatives for the 2024 competition.
This funding brings the total allocation by my Department since 2017 to €9.6 million in direct funding to over 1,000 TidyTowns groups. The funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 is being provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition. A total of €63,000 will be made available to 51 eligible groups in Co Clare. The grant application forms will issue to all these groups shortly.
Under Our Rural Future, my Department also provides a wide range of supports to promote the development of rural areas, including through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the LEADER Programme, the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and the CLÁR programme. I would encourage TidyTowns groups to engage with their local authority or local development company to explore what other funding sources may be available to support the valuable voluntary work they are providing for their local communities.
644. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department operates an X account (formerly Twitter) or any other social media account, and if such accounts are verified through a subscription fee; the policy in place that guides when any of these accounts can ‘like’, endorse or support a posting on X or other social media platforms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53661/23]
View answerMy Department uses the following social media channels to raise awareness of our policies, the supports that we provide to communities across the State and the funding schemes that we administer;
• X (formerly Twitter)
None of these accounts are verified through a subscription fee.
My Department’s accounts follow other Government Departments, Houses of the Oireachtas, relevant European institutions, key stakeholders and social media accounts of particular relevance to Ireland and generally only likes or reposts content from the accounts that it follows.
While likes or reposts from my Department's accounts should never be interpreted as endorsement by the Department or by the Government, my Department will never like or repost any content that could be considered;
• Party political in nature
• Confidential or privileged
• Speculation or rumour
• Counterfactual
• Abusive
• Spam.
645. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how much her Department has spent on advertising on a website (details supplied) for each of the years 2019 to 2022 and to date 2023, in tabular form; and whether her Department will still run advertisements on the platform going forward due to issues. [53806/23]
View answerMy Department's advertising expenditure with the website concerned from 2019 to date in 2023 is set out in the table below.
My Department continues to review all methods of communication with a view to maximising the accessibility and effectiveness of its communications. My Department has no plans to place advertisements on any online channel or platform in the immediate future.
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
as at 1 December 2023 |
|
€6,754.07 |
Nil |
€4,798.58 |
Nil |
Nil |
