Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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1503. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the procurement process for the delivery of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33301/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The proposals outlined in Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Governmentseek 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”.

As part of the programme of reform of local government, Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are being established in all local authority areas. These Committees, comprising public-private socio-economic 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.

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 €281m over that period. It is being implemented on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47m pending the roll out of the new programme SICAP.

The SICAP programme is a key priority of Government and its budget for next year will be decided in the 2015 Estimates process. As a key intervention for the harder to reach, the Programme’s target groups are:

- Children and Families from Disadvantaged Areas

- Lone Parents

- New Communities (including Refugees/Asylum Seekers)

- People living in Disadvantaged Communities

- People with Disabilities

- Roma

- The Unemployed (including those not on the Live Register)

- Travellers

- Young Unemployed People from Disadvantaged areas

In accordance with the Public Spending Code, good practice internationally, legal advice and in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to clients, the new Programme is subject to a public procurement process, which is currently underway. This process is a competitive process that is open to Local Development Companies, including the Mayo 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 noon, Friday, 11 July 2014. Stage two of the process (Invitation to Tender) is due to get underway shortly.