Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
632. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to put new tenders in place for the SICAP; his further plans to tender for the provision of this programme in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42802/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra633. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if tendering for the next SICAP will be focused on the needs of rural communities; if facilities will determine the location of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42803/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 632 and 633 together.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, SICAP, is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The Programme was rolled out in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. Its aim is to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations, public sector agencies and other stakeholders. The SICAP funding allocation, for front-line delivery for 2017, is €37.5 million, which includes an allocation of €3 million under the European Social Fund, ESF, Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning, PEIL, 2014-2020.
SICAP is a key intervention for the harder to reach, with delivery in each area (or Lot) overseen and managed by the relevant Local Community Development Committee, LCDC, in each local authority area. The programme is currently delivered in a total of 51 Lots, and it targets both rural and urban areas. The number and configuration of the Lots was decided upon by the LCDCs, based on their considerable knowledge of their local areas.
LCDCs bring a more joined-up and coherent approach to the local management of publicly funded programmes in the areas of economic, social and community development, including SICAP, through the development and implementation of the community elements of the Local Economic and Community Plan, LECP. It is for the LCDCs to target and plan their strategy in accordance with local need and the contents of their LECP. While complying with the programme’s aims, objectives and requirements, Programme Implementers are expected to ensure that actions set out under SICAP reflect the priorities and needs identified in the community aspect of the LECP, which emerged from extensive local consultation processes.
The next iteration of the programme, SICAP 2018-2022, is due to supersede the current programme with effect from 1 January 2018. The programme has been refined to allow LCDCs to include their own "emerging needs" group to more efficiently target supports within their Lot area. As with the current programme and 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 2018-2022 is subject to a public procurement process which is currently under way. The national procurement process is a competitive process that is open to Local Development Companies, other not-for-profit community groups, commercial firms and national organisations that can provide the services to be tendered for to deliver the new Programme. The process is managed within each Lot area by the relevant LCDC. The process is the same for every county. Given the deliberative process currently under way, I am not in a position to comment further.
