Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his offer of support, which I will take him up on. It is important. The Deputy is quite correct to say that sometimes we target areas like inner-city Dublin whereas other disadvantaged areas in other parts of the country do not have the clout they should. That is why the Department uses SICAP and the community enhancement programme. Deputy Curran referred to the level of funding. I was pleased that the €6.5 million we invested in inner-city Dublin this year included an increase of €3 million on the 2018 provision. The Deputy is right that we want to see other areas being covered too. The community enhancement programme started last year with €4.5 million and we finished up by putting €13 million into it. If there are any savings in the Department this year, that is one of the areas I will look at. One of the most important programmes is one about which we do not talk but about which I have learned a great deal more since becoming Minister, namely, SICAP, which will provide funding of €130 million over a number of years. SICAP is one of the better programmes because it identifies areas and individuals and works with them. We have had many successes in Limerick and elsewhere for individuals who have been helped to create or obtain employment through SICAP. People have been helped to read and write and groups who needed help have been dealt with. I will look for further funding for the programme of which I am very fond.

See this speech in context