Written answers
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Department of Rural and Community Development
Departmental Programmes
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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613. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a decision will be made on the arrangements to deliver the next SICAP programme in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51101/23]
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies to help those in the greatest need. SICAP aims to address high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted and innovative, locally-led approaches. The programme does vital work in helping individuals and groups, by improving the life chances of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or unemployed.
Following significant engagement with various stakeholders it was determined that a procurement process would be required under EU competition rules for the next iteration of SICAP 2024-2028. The approach selected involves two phases – an initial tender, followed by a negotiation phase, if appropriate, to allow tenderers to refine their bids.
The SICAP procurement process is run on a national basis with the responsibility for each individual SICAP contract area resting with the contract holders, the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs). There are 53 SICAP contract areas in total.
My main priority is to ensure the continuation of SICAP service delivery while the new SICAP 2024 - 2028 tender evaluation process is concluding and new contracts are put in place.
The procurement process is currently ongoing in County Galway. Galway County Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), Contracting Authority for delivery of SICAP in Galway, are currently evaluating the tenders received for the 3 Contract Areas; Galway East, Galway West and Galway Islands.
An extension on delivery of the current SICAP programme (SICAP 2018 -2023) can be implemented by the LCDC should it be required, to ensure that a fair, transparent and robust process is implemented in the awarding of the new contracts.
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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614. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a decision will be made as to who will deliver the LEADER programme in County Galway; the allocation they will have, broken down between administration and projects; when the LEADER programme will be open to new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51102/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
The process to select the Local Action Groups (LAGs) to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is ongoing at present and the Local Development Strategies which were submitted by the applicant LAGs are currently being assessed.
To date LAGs have been approved in twelve sub-regional areas by the Independent Selection Committee (ISC) established to adjudicate on the strategies submitted by the applicant groups. Strategies in the remaining areas will be considered by the ISC over the coming weeks with a view to completing the selection of the remaining LAGs a by the end of the year. All applicant LAGs will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in their sub-regional area as they are approved. Once a LAG is approved it can commence the delivery of the programme in their area.
The allocation for the Galway sub-regional area for the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is €9,024,924. In line with EU Regulations the LAGs may use up to 25% of their allocation to cover their administration costs and costs associated with engaging with their communities while the remainder of the funding is available to support project activity.
A number of groups have submitted strategies for consideration in the Galway sub-regional area and the applicant LAGs have been made aware of the allocation that will be provided for the delivery of their strategy should their application be approved by the ISC.
My Department’s focus now is to complete the selection of the remaining LAGs to ensure a timely and smooth transition from the 2014-2020 programme.
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