Ireland’s presidency of the EU runs from July to December, which means that officials from the 27 EU-member countries will be attending meetings here. So let us remember what we excel at when it comes to social inclusion and supporting communities.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality. It does this through programme implementers, agencies and local development companies, who work with the most disadvantaged and the hardest people to reach in communities. Notably, SICAP is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training Programme 2021 to 2027.
The programme is aimed at:
- People living in disadvantaged communities
- People impacted by educational disadvantage
- People living in jobless households or households where the primary income source is low-paid and/or precarious
- People who are long-term unemployed
- People with a criminal history
- Refugees
- International Protection Applicants
- Disabled People/People with Disabilities
- Heads of One-parent Families
- Travellers
- Roma
- Island residents
SICAP’s goals
The programme has two goals and they focus on supporting communities and individuals:
Goal 1: Contribute to Building more Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. This is done by empowering groups of individuals, local community groups, networks and social enterprises to address collective community needs.
Goal 2: Empower Disadvantaged people to Improve the Quality of Their Lives. This is done by supporting disadvantaged individuals, children and families to progress their formal education and participate in lifelong learning. It also supports people to progress into employment/ self-employment, and to improve their soft skills and wellbeing.
SICAP is managed by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each local authority area. It is implemented by local development companies.
The programme was launched in 2018 and the current programme, which began in 2024 will run until the end of 2028.
SICAP’S flexibility
SICAP has proven to be a resilient programme that can respond in times of crisis. When Covid-19 struck and later when Ukrainian refugees came here fleeing war in large numbers, SICAP had the capacity and flexibility to respond. Extra funding was allocated through SICAP to support the integration of Ukrainians.
These photos are from an exhibition held last year at a SICAP showcase event. The exhibition involved local development companies and Changing Ireland working together to produce these pictorial tributes to work across the country.
#SICAPstories
Last year, a promotional video campaign called #SICAPStories showcased best practice in pursuit of the programme goals to support communities and individuals. Watch the videos here.
