Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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492. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for existing local development companies that are unsuccessful in their bids, under the new social inclusion and community activation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6721/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department's Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) superseded the Local Development Social Inclusion and the Community Development Programmes in 2010. 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 €281 million over that period. It is being implemented on a transitional basis until March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in April 2015.

In accordance with the Public Spending Code, legal advice, good practice internationally and in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to clients, SICAP is subject to a public procurement process, which is currently underway. The closing date for receipt of tenders under stage two was noon on 19 December 2014. The tenders received are currently being evaluated and tenderers will be informed of the outcome later this month. Contracts for SICAP will be determined following the outcome of the procurement process.

I am satisfied that the procurement process underway is in line with best practice and that the procurement documentation on e-Tenders contains all the relevant information on the process. While business continuity remains a key concern for all stakeholders it is not possible to predict what impact, if any, the outcome of the competitive process for the new Programme will have with regard to the network of Local Development Companies (LDCs), which are independent limited companies.

As soon as the outcome of the competitive process is known, my Department will be reviewing the matter. However, it should be noted that my Department has no role in the internal operations of LDCs and, therefore, does not have a role in relation to staff or employment matters, which are for the Board of each company, as the employer, to manage. Each funding Department is responsible for its own funding and contractual arrangements with the LDCs.

In the meantime, all groups who received LCDP funding in 2014 are being funded through LCDP interim arrangements until 31 March next, pending the outcome of the competitive process.