Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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550. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if enhanced redundancy packages will be made available in respect of employees (details supplied). [10556/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State and is being implemented on a transitional basis until the end of March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) on 1 April 2015.

In accordance with the Public Spending Code, legal advice, good practice internationally and in order to ensure the optimum delivery of services to clients, SICAP is subject to a public procurement process, which is in its final stages. Tenderers have now been informed of the outcome of their tender and Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are in the process of issuing contracts to the successful tenderers.

In relation to the details supplied by the Deputy, it should be noted that my Department has no role in the internal operations of LDCs and, therefore, does not have a role in relation to staff or employment matters, which are for the Board of each company, as the employer, to manage. Each funding Department is responsible for its own funding and contractual arrangements with the LDCs.

My Department will, however, provide practical financial support to LDCs to facilitate the closure of the LCDP and the move to new arrangements. This will include financial assistance to companies to deal with redundancies and such other supports as are considered appropriate in the context of the closure of the LCDP. It should be noted that Pobal are currently liaising with LDCs on these issues.