Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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239. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on local partnership amalgamations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8709/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I assume the Question refers to my Department’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP). My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) superseded the Local Development Social Inclusion and the Community Development Programmes in 2010.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 shortly.

The public procurement process is a competitive process that was open to Local Development 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. In Stage one, joint applications were encouraged and organisations of varying sizes (for example smaller organisations working in consortia with larger organisations) were invited to submit joint applications. The closing date for receipt of tenders under stage two was noon on 19 December 2014. The tenders received are currently being evaluated by the Local Community Development Committees in each area, and tenderers will be informed of the outcome shortly.

My Department is not aware of any planned partnership amalgamations. However, it should be noted that LDCs are independent companies, limited by guarantee. 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 the company, as the employer, to manage. Each funding Department is responsible for its own funding and contractual arrangements with the LDCs.

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. 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.