Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the measures that have been taken by her Department to support Ukrainian refugees living in rural Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61795/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department has responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018 – 2023 that provides funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion at a local level through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies. The programme is implemented nationally by 46 Local Development Companies (LDCs).

Since the start of this crisis, flexibility has been offered by my Department in relation to SICAP so that its some 600 community development workers can contribute locally in responding to the needs of the people from Ukraine to help them settle in and engage with local communities.

€10.5 million was announced by my Department earlier this year for the community response to support people arriving from Ukraine. €5 million funding was allocated to SICAP in recognition of the ongoing contribution being made by the programme, this additional funding ensures that normal SICAP service delivery can be maintained along with the on-the-ground response and services for the people arriving from Ukraine. A further €5 million was allocated for the "Ireland for Ukraine Fund" which is being administered by Community Foundation Ireland. In addition, funding of €0.5 million was provided for volunteer centres to deal with increased activity and demands on those centres and on the volunteers helping to deal with this crisis.

Some services that are available through SICAP to support Ukrainians include transport services; access to health care; access to school places; services to older people; Ukrainian community engagement; personal skills and wellbeing, lifelong learning and access to the labour market. Some of these supports are delivered on a one-to-one basis and in a group setting.

My Department will continue to monitor the situation and keep it under review, and I am delighted to have secured additional funding of €10million for SICAP in budget 2023 to deal specifically with new arrivals from Ukraine.

I am also very pleased to have secured funding of €1million for the volunteering element of the Ukraine response in 2023, to continue to support the ongoing efforts of volunteers and Volunteer Centres to respond to the needs of displaced Ukrainians and the ongoing community response to the crisis.