Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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225. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of lots proposed for the rollout of the SICAP programme; the reason the number of lots has not been reviewed; the reason it is planned to have only one lot in County Galway when the overwhelming view of persons living in Connemara and the islands is that there should be three lots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29451/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is the largest social inclusion programme in the State and is a key priority for Government. The current SICAP programme will come to an end on 31 December 2017, and the successor programme (SICAP 2) is due to roll out in January 2018.

Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are the SICAP contracting authorities in each Local Authority area.  The current SICAP contracts were established on the basis of a total of 51 lots within the LCDC areas.  The Lot configuration for each area was decided by each LCDC on a democratic basis, based on their knowledge of the local areas and their demographics.

The next iteration of SICAP will be tendered for on the basis of the existing Lot numbers and configuration.  This is underpinned by my Department's legal advice in the matter.