Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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422. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress in relation to the transfer of responsibility for the National Collective of Community Based Women's Networks to the Department of Justice and Equality; when this process is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16463/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) concluded on 31 March 2015 and the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) was rolled out across communities 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 was subject to a public procurement process. The public procurement process was a competitive process that was open to Local Development Companies, other not-for-profit community groups, commercial firms and national organisations that could provide the services to be tendered for to deliver the new programme.

A number of entities involved in the delivery of LCDP, of which the National Collective of Community Based Women’s Networks (NCCWN) was one, did not submit a tender for SICAP. In order to ensure the maintenance, continuity and future delivery of the range of supports provided by the NCCWN, a revised scheme has been agreed between my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality. For the avoidance of doubt, this is a new scheme and does not involve the transfer of responsibility of any function from my Department.

The new scheme will continue to give a voice to women and will help to address poverty, social exclusion and gender inequality experienced by women. Arrangements are currently being finalised in relation to the funding mechanism for the new scheme and my Department is continuing to fund the NCCWN until the new funding arrangement has been finalised by the Department of Justice and Equality.