Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) our country’s primary social inclusion programme, aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals.

SICAP’s structure, with its emphasis on ‘bottom-up’ local community development approaches within the framework of a national programme, enabled flexibility to respond to the needs presented as a result of the impact of the Ukrainian crisis. To assist in the community response to support people arriving from Ukraine, an additional €5 million was announced in 2022 to support the Local Development Companies, through SICAP. A further €10 million is also being provided under SICAP in 2023 to allow Local Development Companies to continue their work to support arrivals from the Ukraine.

I acknowledge the vital work SICAP does in helping so many Ukrainian individuals and community groups with 5,000 Ukrainian people receiving one-to-one supports through SICAP in 2022. In addition 65 Local Community Groups likewise received supports and 496 events were held throughout the year focusing on provision of support for new arrivals from Ukraine.

The funding for SICAP and additional funding for Ukrainian supports is subject to the annual budgetary process. I can assure the Deputy that I review the level of funding of all programmes each year as part of the budgetary process and it remains my intention to continue to prioritise funding for SICAP and additional funding to enable continuity of supports to Ukrainian nationals.