10 ways to improve inclusion programme

Participants in the online Rural Ideas Forum were asked: How can the next Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) best tackle the above challenges? Almost every reply covered one or other facet of community development. For example, respondents called for:

1. Indicators that measure social value and change.

2. Cross-county collaboration to find solutions to issues and inform policy at national level.

3. A case study from each county on spatial poverty that can inform future planning.

4. Community Development core principles to remain as core to the SICAP programme.

5. More community development workers employed to support groups to truly advocate. More funding resources in the next SICAP.

6. More local flexibility. The programme needs to be designed to facilitate the local identification of issues and how best to address them locally.

7. Support for local communities trying to access public land for growing food, for energy and for biodiversity.

8. Support for communities to develop whole community plans linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Public Participation Network Wellbeing Visions.

9. More support for social enterprise in rural areas.

10. To ensure that it is inclusive and equitable the programme should be cognisant of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.

€10m extra to support Ukrainians in Ireland

TheSocial Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) has supported community responses at local level as refugees arrived last Spring from Ukraine and this is set to continue.

As announced in the budget, €10m in additional funding for 2023 is going to Local Development Companies delivering supports to people arriving from Ukraine.

The Department of Rural and Community Development said in a recent statement: “The additional funding ensures that normal SICAP service delivery will be maintained together with the on-the-ground response and services for people arriving from Ukraine.”

Thanking community workers and volunteers for their efforts, Minister of State Joe O'Brien said, “Over 600 programme workers have been agile in adapting to an ever evolving situation.”

He said it was “important that we all continue to play our role in fostering supportive communities across Ireland by offering a warm welcome to all people seeking protection in their time of need”.

The general SICAP budget remains largely unchanged on the previous year taking inflation into account, rising by €1.3m (3%) to €44.3m. Rising costs have been partly addressed by a separate fund to help community groups pay high energy bills.

Last June, SICAP was awarded a prestigious United Nations Public Service award.

• Further budget details can be found at www.gov.ie/drcd