Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I want to express my dissatisfaction with the shambles that today's sitting is turning out to be. Given that this Parliament sits for so few days in the year, and only three days per week, it really is a disgrace that the Government could not organise itself to have business today. Effectively, the House went into recess this morning and there is this minor session this afternoon which will be finishing up in the next few minutes. That does nothing at all to improve the standing of politics. It seriously undermines it.

It is a very far cry from the new politics we were promised. In addition, it is really disappointing that, when matters are raised in the Topical Issues debate, a Minister does not come to respond. Given the fact that there are three Ministers in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, it is not acceptable that not one of them is available to come this afternoon.

The matter I am raising relates to the decision to reverse a lot of the progress made at community level in recent years. I am asking that consideration be given to rethinking the recent decisions in respect of the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, scheme. It is clear that the scheme is a continuation of the general squeezing of the community sector that has been happening in an unrelenting way in recent years. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, will be very familiar with this, given the constituency he represents. In recent years there has been a positively hostile attitude on the part of the Government to the community sector. It is most pronounced in the case of Fine Gael Members in the constant undermining, cutting of the funding for and talking down of the community sector. In the context of all the cuts in people's incomes, local and child care services, the community sector is the glue that keeps disadvantaged communities together. When that sector is being undermined by the Government, it is a recipe for disaster and huge social alienation of large numbers of people. That is what I believe we are seeing. It is unfortunate that the Labour Party has not been prepared to stand up to that attitude within the Government or stand up for the communities it is supposed to protect.

The SICAP process has reduced the number of partnerships in the Dublin area. There were seven and the proposal is to reduce that number to five, with no rationale for doing so. Most particularly, I am concerned about the implications of that decision in my constituency where, effectively, the Ballymun-Whitehall area partnership is being abolished. Some of the work it did is being taken over by the Tolka area partnership. Ballymun includes two of the top most disadvantaged electoral divisions, which gives a flavour of the issue. We all know that Ballymun is a huge area with a huge population of 16,000 and very significant social problems. On no level does it make any sense to close down the partnership that is doing so much important work in the area, in working with other agencies, in terms of community development, enterprise and child care. It has done a fantastic job in the past 24 years and now the Government, it seems for inexplicable reasons, is closing it down with no regard to the implications for the community or the staff concerned who have not been told anything about where they stand or whether they will have jobs in a few months time. The decision has been taken and it is very damaging and will have significant implications. At this late stage, I am asking the Minister to give some consideration to restoring the separate partnership which served the Ballymun-Whitehall area so well for so long.

The decision to cut overall funding by over 11% - it represents about €200,000 being taken away from a very disadvantaged area - having regard to all of the cuts that have taken place in recent years, will inevitably lead to huge problems in the area and exacerbate existing ones. I ask the Minister to reconsider this decision and restore the much-needed funding that has been taken away.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

At the beginning of taking these three Topical Issues matters, I outlined that the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly was abroad on business. The Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey, could not make it because of a family bereavement. The option was available under Standing Orders for the Deputy to defer the Topical Issue until the Minister was available and it would have been taken next week as the first Topical Issue to be discussed. I do not accept the Deputy's criticism of the Ministers. She is much wiser when it comes to the Standing Orders of the House than I am, but as a backbencher, I often exercised the opportunity to defer when I wanted to debate a particular issue with the Minister responsible. Nor do I take for one minute the criticism about what happened on the Order of Business this week. The debate had been organised with the agreement of the Whips and the time slots were not filled by Opposition party speakers. The Government did what was it was requested to do by the Opposition. Unfortunately, we cannot control whether Members will take time slots.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On a point of order, may I have a reply to the matter raised?

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Is there a reply?

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Did the Deputy raise the first three issues or not? Do I not have a right to respond to them? I have done so.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State should reply to the item raised.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I replied to the Deputy. Sometimes she accuses people of not replying, but I have.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State only has four minutes in which to reply.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The proposals outlined in Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government seek to position local government as:

The primary vehicle of governance and public service at local level — leading economic, social and community development, delivering efficient and good value services, and representing citizens and local communities effectively and accountably.

These committees, comprising public-private socioeconomic interests, will have responsibility for local and community development programmes on an area basis, including the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP. They will develop, co-ordinate and implement a more coherent and integrated approach to local and community development than heretofore, with the aim of reducing duplication and overlap and optimising the use of available resources for the benefit of citizens and communities.

In accordance with the public spending code, legal advice, good practice internationally and in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to all clients, the SICAP programme was subject to a public procurement process which is in its final stages. In stage one joint applications were encouraged and organisations of varying sizes, for example, smaller organisations working in consortiums with larger organisations, were invited to submit joint applications. The closing date for stage two, invitation to tender, was 19 December 2014. Tenderers have been informed of the outcome of their tender and local and community development committees are in the process of establishing contracts with the successful tenderers.

Following contract signature, Pobal will publish a contract award notice in the Official Journal of the EUand on the eTenders website. LCDCs have managed and implemented stage two of the SICAP tendering process. In some areas the decision was taken by the LCDC to divide the lot into smaller units; that was a decision of the LCDC in each case. The LCDC is independent of the local authority in the performance of its functions. This independence is provided for explicitly in sections 49A(2) and 128B(8) of the Local Government Act 2001. Any decision made by an LCDC when carrying out its functions is solely a matter for that LCDC.

The primary focus of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is to ensure the front-line services being supported, particularly those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities, are protected, given the need to ensure best value from the scarce resources available. The Department is confident that the new programme will continue to provide key supports for those most in need in communities in all local authority areas throughout the country, including those in the Dublin City Council area.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I was not prepared to defer this matter to some indefinite future date as there is urgency attached to it.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It would not have been indefinite; it would actually be the first item to be taken next week.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It would have been indefinite.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It would not have been.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am asking the Minister of State to do three things. Will he relay my concerns to the Minister?

Everybody representing the Ballymun area, those involved there at community level and I are shocked and dismayed by this decision and cannot understand why it was made. It makes no sense on any level. I ask the Minister of State to convey these views to the Minister.

I also ask the Minister of State to meet the three Deputies from Dublin North-West and representatives of the Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership next week for a short meeting. It could be held in Leinster House at any point to facilitate the Minister. In addition, I ask the Minister of State to request the Minister to reverse for this year the cut of €200,000, which affects an area of considerable deprivation that has already suffered very significant cuts in recent years. It is only if this happens that we will have any hope of repairing the damage that could be done by the move to eliminate the partnership and of ensuring some of the activities will continue.

I have made three specific requests and I ask the Minister of State to convey them to the Minister. The first concerns the significant dissatisfaction and dismay locally over the decision. The second is for a meeting with the Minister next week and the third is to restore the funding that has been cut for this year and without which there will be devastating effects in the Ballymun-Whitehall area.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am confident that the Minister will be reviewing the debate on this issue. I will convey to him the three points the Deputy has outlined as soon as he returns from business overseas. The primary aim is to ensure that resources are allocated in the fairest possible way and to make the maximum contribution to tackle disadvantage, create jobs and promote economic recovery. Coming from an area that has partnerships, I believe it is important that resources be targeted in the fairest possible way. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue.