Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question and I welcome the opportunity to address it. As outlined in the draft rural development programme 2014-20, submitted to the European Commission in July 2014, it is intended that Ireland will use a two-step process to select local development strategies for the delivery of the Leader elements of the programme. Step one of the process, which is due to commence in the coming weeks, will seek expressions of interest from interested parties who wish to be considered and selected as qualifying local action groups, LAGs. Minimum qualifying criteria are being finalised and will be made available.

It is envisaged that stage two of the process will commence before the end of 2014 and qualifying groups will be allowed a minimum of six months to develop and submit local development strategies for assessment and possible selection.

A competitive public procurement process is currently under way for the successor to my Department’s local and community development programme, LCDP. The procurement process for the new social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, 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 closing date for receipt of expressions of interest under stage one of the process was 11 July 2014. Stage two, which is the invitation to tender stage, is due to get under way in October and will involve the successful applicants from stage one being invited to apply to one or more local community development committees to deliver the programme in their areas. Contracts for the delivery of SICAP, due to roll out in 2015, will be put in place following the outcome of that process.

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