Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start with the review. Indecon is undertaking a review of the programme. I want to protect it, but I am afraid that weaker groups will be left behind. As I need to protect them, we will have to wait and see. The review of the programme will show whether we are getting value for money and what we can do to improve it. I also want to support social enterprises, which is why we have a national social enterprise policy for the first time since the foundation of the State. I need to protect the weaker groups in the programme, in particular, such as those some people might not think provide value for money. They might say someone else should be running them, but we do not have anyone else to do so and need them to continue. The Senator asked a straight question, to which I will give her a straight answer. The review will be completed by the end of the year. I want to make it clear that I intend to protect the groups that need to be protected.

The Senator also spoke about the senior alert scheme. When I took office, there was a public outcry as there had been an underspend under the scheme for many years. I made a decision to bring in Pobal and we ran an advertising and media campaign to notify all voluntary groups about the scheme. The senior alert scheme is now too successful, as I have had to find extra funding for it for the last two years. I welcome this because it is only right to do so. Some 55,000 people now participate in the scheme, including 13,000 new participants in 2019 and 20,000 in 2018. The scheme has received an allocation of over €2.3 million and I also had to find a further €1.6 million in funding. We have spent €3.7 million under the scheme to date. It is a great scheme which gives people peace of mind. Many people now participate in it and we have to monitor it on a regular basis to ensure we modernise equipment as we move along and support elderly people. What is most important is keeping them safe in their homes. The programme has worked very well and I am pleased with it.

The community services programme, CSP, of which I spoke, is also a great programme and I wish I had more money for it in order to have more groups and better organisation. However, SICAP, the best programme of them all, receives the least attention, support and credit. I am trying to increase its yearly funding as it deals with the most marginalised on a one-to-one basis. We conducted a review and I made it easier for SICAP participants to run their business on a one-to-one basis. The level of success we have had with the programme is unbelievable, particularly for people on the margins such as those who had been in prison, who were not educated, or who needed job support. The number of people coming through the programme is incredible. It supports over 2,200 communities and 27,000 individuals, but it would be worth it even for one individual. I have been in Limerick, Dublin, Tallaght, and many other places throughout the country and the programme does not get the credit it deserves. I wish I had more funding for it because it deals with the most marginalised I have received a small increase in the budget. Giving an increase to SICAP participants throughout the country is one possibility I will look into.