Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department’s local and community development programme, LCDP, is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The current programme officially ended at the end of 2013, having operated for four years with funding of €281 million over that period. It is being implemented by the local development companies on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47 million pending the roll-out of a new social inclusion activation programme in January 2015. All 50 local development companies are contracted by my Department to deliver the LCDP to the end of 2014. As an integral part of the alignment of community development and local government, the management and oversight of the LCDP will transfer to the local community development committees, LCDCs, within each local authority from 1 July this year.

The new programme is one of my key priorities and its budget for next year will be decided in the 2015 Estimates process. In accordance with the public spending code, best practice internationally, legal advice and to ensure the optimum delivery of the services to clients, the LCDP successor programme will be subject to a public procurement process. The new LCDCs will procure the programme locally. All proposals received will be assessed in accordance with the assessment criteria notified with the tender documentation, and the contract or contracts will be awarded on the basis of that assessment. Pobal is assisting my Department and the LCDCs in the preparation of the tender documentation and the assessment criteria. I expect that the local development companies with their experience and expertise will be well placed to tender for the delivery of the new programme in their areas.

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