Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 March 2015

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Ceisteanna (553, 554, 555)

Joan Collins

Ceist:

553. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the fact that a 13% cut to the social inclusion and community activation programme budget on the back of successive cuts of 33% (details supplied), over the past four years will continue to have a detrimental impact on the communities in Lot 2.4, Canals, Rathmines, Pembroke, and that community development focuses on building relationships, and working in solidarity with communities; his views on the dismantling of this sector, and the long-term negative implications this will have on those who are voiceless in our communities. [10588/15]

Joan Collins

Ceist:

554. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 4 March 2015, if he will provide clarity on statements made, where it was stated that €600,000 was being made available to Dublin Central groups outside the local and community development programme and social inclusion and community activation programme budgets; the uses for this funding and the groups that will benefit; the fund that this money is being made available from; if other unsuccessful tenderers, including Rathmines Pembroke Community Partnership, will be provided with similar funding outside of the tendering process. [10589/15]

Eoghan Murphy

Ceist:

555. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 4 March 2015, if he will clarify statements made during which it was said that €600,0000 was being made available to Dublin Central groups outside of the local and community development programme and social inclusion and community activation programme budgets; the use for the money and the groups that will benefit; the fund this money is being made available from; and if other unsuccessful tenderers, including a group (details supplied), will be provided with similar funding outside the tendering process. [10590/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

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.