Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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1017. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding that has been allocated to the west Wicklow region in the past three years to deal with structural inequalities and spatial disadvantage. [37766/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I assume the Question refers to funding provided to West Wicklow under my Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) and the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP). The LCDP was implemented until March 2015 pending the roll out of SICAP in April 2015.

The objective of SICAP is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and support equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. SICAP is being overseen and managed by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area. The programme’s target groups are children and families from disadvantaged areas, lone parents, new communities (including refugees and asylum seekers), people living in disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities, Roma, the unemployed (including those not on the Live Register), Travellers, young unemployed people from disadvantaged areas and young people (aged 15-24) who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs).

SICAP is one of my Department’s key priorities and is operating for a 9 month period for 2015, with funding of €28 million. This includes an allocation of €2 million under the European Structural Funds (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020 and €2 million under the Youth Employment Initiative.

The amount of SICAP funding for the Wicklow area was calculated using the Resource Allocation Model (RAM). The RAM , underpinned by the Pobal/HAASE Deprivation Index, which is used in relation to allocations, allows funds to be allocated in a manner which means that a disadvantaged person in any area of the country will have equality of resources available to their areas to support their needs. In relation to the Deputy’s query regarding funding that has been provided to Wicklow, including West Wicklow over the last three years, LCDP allocations are set out in the following table.

It should be noted that under SICAP, Wicklow’s Local Community Development Committeehas been allocated €972,584 in 2015 to support the community services which the Deputy refers to.

In addition to the funding above, the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020 will provide €6.3 million for the Wicklow sub-regional area. There is a specific focus on social inclusion under LEADER for the 20 14-20 20programme period and LEADER local action groups are currently working on local development strategies that will identify, in a community led way, the priorities for the funding over the next number of years.