Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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26. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on the performance and plans of Pobal in supporting local development and social enterprise jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18294/16]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government currently provides substantial funding to social enterprises through a range of programmes and schemes, many of which are implemented through the nationwide network of Local Development Companies, including the Community Services Programme, Community Employment Schemes, the Wage Subsidy Scheme for the employment of people with disabilities, public sector contracts through the HSE, and the Social Finance Foundation.

Pobal, on behalf of the Government, manages the Community Services Programme (CSP) and Dormant Account Fund Social Enterprise Measure. A total of 404 service providers are supported under the CSP to provide local social, economic and environmental services through the application of a social enterprise model of delivery. In 2016, the total allocation to service providers under CSP amounts to €42.53m. This contributes to the employment of 306 managers and 1,702 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions under the programme. A total of 27 projects are currently supported by the allocation of a Dormant Accounts capital grant with a total disbursement of €1,042,256.

In addition, my Department funds a number of programmes operating within communities including, for example, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), which is one of my Department’s key priorities. SICAP has been rolled out since 1 April 2015 and it aims to tackle poverty and social exclusion through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies, and operates across the country. It is a key intervention for the harder to reach and is managed and overseen by the Local Community Development Committees in each Local Authority area. The SICAP horizontal principles are collaboration, community development and equality, and the programme is delivered in each area by local development companies and one community consortium (in Dublin Inner City area). The SICAP budget for 2016 is €37.5 million.

Pobal has been contracted by my Department to act as its agent with respect to the national management and oversight for the monitoring and evaluation of SICAP.

Further information regarding the performance of the programmes under the remit of my Department, such as the local and community development programme and its successor, SICAP, are contained at the following links:

(includes information on CSP, Dormant Accounts, SICAP and its predecessor the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP).

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