Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of pre-financing by programme his Department has applied for with regard to the current phase of EU funding programmes; the amount that is likely to be reimbursed to the European Commission; the reasons this money will be reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20578/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Pre-financing applies in the case of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in my Department. SICAP rolled out in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. It is the successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP). Its aim is to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations, public sector agencies and other stakeholders. The SICAP target groups are children and families from disadvantaged areas, lone parents, new communities (including Refugees/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 (including young people aged 15-24 who are not in employment, education or training) and low income workers and households.

SICAP is one of my Department’s key priorities with funding of €37.5 million in 2016. This includes an allocation of €3 million under the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020 which is matched by exchequer funding. From a total national budget of €36 million for SICAP under PEIL up to 2020, it is expected that €19 million will be contributed from the ESF. Arising from this funding, SICAP received pre-financing amounting to €452,500 in 2015 and €181,000 in 2016. It is not expected that any of this funding will be reimbursed.

The reply given by the Minister for Education and Skills to Question No. 230 on today’s Order Paper provides additional information on the PEIL 2014-2020.