Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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493. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department received correspondence from the European Union Commission or European Court of Justice in relation to the European Union Directive on Procurement, in relation to the roll-out of the Social Inclusion Activation and Community Activation Programme; if concerns were raised about compliance with the Directive under the previous local community development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6722/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department's Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The current Programme 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. All groups who received LCDP funding in 2014 are being funded through LCDP interim arrangements until 31 March 2015, pending the outcome of the SICAP competitive process.

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.  Stage one (Expression of Interest) has been completed. Stage two (Invitation to Tender), commenced on 20 October 2014 and involved the successful applicants from stage one being invited to apply to one or more Local Community Development Committees, in local authority areas, to deliver the programme. The closing date for receipt of tenders under stage two was noon on 19 December 2014. The tenders received are currently being evaluated and it is intended that tenderers will be informed of the outcome later this month.

My Department is obliged to adhere to the rules under Directive 2004/18/EC. Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement comes into effect on 18 April 2016. I am satisfied that the process underway takes account of all recent developments in procurement law. My Department has not received correspondence from the EU Commission or European Court of Justice in relation to the EU Directive on Procurement in relation to the roll out of the SICAP. No concerns were raised in relation to the outgoing programme, the LCDP, and compliance with the Directive.