Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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207. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he has given consideration to a system whereby if the contract for delivery of SICAP funding is again assigned to the Blanchardstown area partnership, that the Fingal leader partnership would work as a subcontractor (details supplied). [40047/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The Programme was rolled out in April 2015, and will run until 31 December 2017. 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. SICAP is a key intervention for the harder to reach cohort of the population, with delivery in each area (or Lot) overseen and managed by the relevant LCDC in the local authority area.

The SICAP funding allocation for 2017 nationally is €37.5m, which includes an allocation of €3m under the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020.

The next iteration of the programme, SICAP 2018-2022 is due to supersede the current programme with effect from 1 January 2018.  As with the current programme, and in accordance with the Public Spending Code, legal advice and good practice internationally, and also in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to clients, SICAP 2018-2022 is subject to a public procurement process which is currently underway.  The public procurement process is a competitive process that is open to Local Development Companies, other not-for-profit community groups, commercial firms and national organisations that can provide the services to deliver the new Programme. The matter of sub-contracting is dealt with in the Request for Tender (RFT) which issued in July last.  Given the deliberative process, currently underway, I am not in a position to comment further.