Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

198. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update in relation to the current tendering process that his predecessor introduced around the social inclusion and community activation programme which is due to launch on 1 April 2015; the provisions he has put in place for staff and the service provided by the 33 unsuccessful local development companies that are currently delivering services under the LCDP and Leader programmes. [9404/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (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. Tenderers have now been informed of the outcome of their tender and Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are in the process of issuing contracts to the successful tenderers.

There are currently 50 Local Development Companies (LDCs) contracted, on this Department’s behalf, to deliver the LCDP. My Department will now consider 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.

It should be noted however 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. My Department will, however, provide practical financial support to LDCs to facilitate the closure of the LCDP and the move to new arrangements. This will include financial assistance to companies to deal with redundancies and whatever additional supports are considered appropriate in the context of the closure of the LCDP.