Ministers Donohoe and Joe O’Brien launch the government’s Social Inclusion Programme Annual Report
- Published on: 12 September 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, joined Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien, today (Tuesday, 12 September) to launch the ‘Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) Annual Report 2022’ at the LAB Gallery on Foley Street in Dublin City.
SICAP is co-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the European Social Fund.
It currently employs approximately 600 community workers across Ireland working to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies.
The SICAP 2022 Annual Report highlights the vital importance of the Programme in addressing inequality and improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged groups and individuals in the country.
In 2022, 2,760 Local Community Groups and 30,416 individuals were supported by the programme.
The report also acknowledges the role of the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) and the Local Development Companies (LDCs), local community groups and volunteers who support the delivery of the Programme at County and local area level.
Launching the report, Minister Donohoe said:
“I am delighted to launch the 2022 SICAP Annual Report today. This programme is exceptionally valuable and its impact in communities around the country cannot be overstated. Working to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion at a local level, in such practical ways; helping those in need to find work or to upskill, assisting many with finding a suitable personal development course or gaining access to a work placement programme is having such a positive impact on outcomes. It really does help to redirect those who are struggling, helping to point them towards a pathway of opportunities that might otherwise be missed or out of reach.
“The report clearly shows the importance of the Programme in addressing inequality and improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged groups and individuals in the country. By working together, community groups and local organisations are changing these people’s lives for the better.”
Minister Joe O’Brien said:
“SICAP is the State’s primary social inclusion tool and works to target poverty and disadvantage and support communities throughout Ireland. What that effectively means is that SICAP funds community workers on the ground to directly engage with those most marginalised in our society. Indeed the Dublin City Community Co-Op that is hosting us here today has 28 SICAP workers on its staff team working across North and South Inner City Dublin. I am very pleased to have Minister Donohoe join me today to launch the SICAP annual report and help raise awareness of the important work of the programme.
“I know Minister Donohoe can see from the achievements outlined in the report that the government’s continued investment in the SICAP programme is really helping provide much needed services for those most marginalised. Minister Donohoe, and Government as a whole, have continued to support SICAP and recognise the important role it plays in communities across Ireland. I look forward to continuing that support for the vital work of SICAP."
Pobal’s Deputy CEO, Mr Jerry Murphy, said:
“The ‘SICAP Annual Report 2022’ shines a light on work with marginalised people and communities across Ireland. The report is an important piece of work and I very much welcome its launch today. Pobal is pleased to work with and on behalf of the department, Local Community Development Committees, Local Development Companies and other stakeholders towards a common aim of reducing disadvantage, poverty and promoting greater social inclusion and equality by supporting communities and individuals across Ireland.”
Notes
Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
SICAP assists both individuals and groups through a two-pronged approach; supporting communities and supporting individuals. SICAP target groups include; children and families living in disadvantaged areas, lone parents, new communities (including refugees/asylum seekers), people living in disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities, Roma, the unemployed (including those not on the Live Register), travellers, and young unemployed people living in disadvantaged areas.
Some of the key findings from the 2022 SICAP Annual Report include:
- 5,536 Local Community Groups were supported since 2018
- €445,613 was allocated to 417 LCGs though grants in 2022, a 32% increase from 2021. This suggests that LCGs, and the communities they support, needed additional financial support in 2022
- 953 Social Enterprises were supported by SICAP since 2018
- 107,553 individuals were supported since 2018
- the proportion of individuals from the New Communities target group rose from 13% in 2021 to 31% in 2022
- 18% of the individual SICAP caseload were Ukrainian
- 43% of Ukrainians participated in lifelong learning activities
- 5% progressed into employment
- 0.1% set up their own business
- Ukrainians on the SICAP caseload in 2022 were more likely to be short-term unemployed, with a higher educational status and were more likely to be women
- the proportion of long-term unemployed supported fell to 23% in 2022, with 34% of the caseload being short-term unemployed. However if Ukrainians are excluded from this, the proportion of long-term unemployed people supported was 28% and short-term unemployed supported was 25%
- there was little change to the proportions of the other target groups on the SICAP caseload. Travellers made up 2% of the caseload and Roma comprised less than 1%
Pobal
Pobal works on behalf of Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development.
Pobal’s vision is to create an equal and inclusive society in partnership with Government and communities.
The role of Pobal is to provide management and support services to 38 programmes in the areas of Social Inclusion and Equality, Inclusive Employment and Enterprise, and Early Years and Young People. We administer these programmes on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Social Protection, as well as the Department of Health/HSE, the Department of Justice, and a number of EU bodies.