Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. She has spoken about it previously and I accept that it is a source of concern.

Within the constraints of the prevailing budgetary situation I have been particularly mindful of the need to prioritise funding for the local and community development programme, until March 2015, and its successor, the social inclusion and community activation programme, from April 2015. It was necessary to do this and it is welcome that I have done so. My aim is to ensure resources are allocated in the fairest way possible and make the maximum contribution to tackling disadvantage, job creation and economic recovery.

The intention of my Department is over time to use the available knowledge of population levels and disadvantage to ensure available resources are targeted at areas of greatest need. As a tool to assist in this process, the resource allocation model, RAM, which will be made available has been developed. It allows relative disadvantage to be measured throughout all census areas. To achieve the objective of moving towards allocating resources according to this model, in recent years my Department has worked to ensure funding is protected for those areas with greatest need according to the RAM. This principle was used to decide on funding allocations for the social inclusion and community activation programme and I am satisfied that the funding allocated to Dublin's inner city under SICAP is a fair allocation of resources using the model.

The funding reduction referred to should be considered in the context of several specific factors which applied to the Dublin inner city funding arrangements under the current programme. In particular, the community development programme funding model was not based on population and deprivation levels, as proposed for SICAP, instead providing funding for two staff, on average, and overheads in each project. In addition, the fact that there was no local development company in the inner city gave rise to a higher number of separate structures and associated costs relative to other areas, creating scope for efficiency savings to be made in the new arrangements under SICAP. Notwithstanding this and since it is a matter of concern, my Department will be liaising with Dublin City Council and other appropriate stakeholders to find a workable solution in terms of transitional arrangements that may be required in the specific circumstances arising in the inner city. In the meantime, local and community development programme funding for the groups concerned will continue until the end of March 2015.

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