Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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592. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the results of the public tendering process, to select local programme implementers to deliver the social inclusion and community activation programme in each area, will be released; and the reason the due date for release of the tender process results has been delayed. [8168/15]

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My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) superseded the Local Development Social Inclusion and the Community Development Programmes in 2010.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 and is being implemented on a transitional basis until the end of March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) on 1 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 in its final stages. The results of the tender process will be released over the coming week in line with commitments previously given that tenderers would be informed of the outcome of their tender by end February 2015.

I am satisfied that the procurement process, which is nearing completion, is in line with good practice and I look forward to the commencement and roll out of SICAP on 1 April 2015.