SIPTU has called on the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to abandon a proposal to cut Dublin’s main anti-poverty programme by more than €740,000 in 2015. The cut is proposed for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in Dublin which delivers assistance to people through community organisations across the city. SIPTU shop steward and community worker, Gerard McLaughlin, said: “The proposed budget allocation for SICAP in 2015 includes a reduction of over €740,000 for the Dublin City Council area. The total proposed cut to the SICAP programme nationally is €2 million. If such a cut is imposed it will have a massive impact on the ability of community organisations to assist those in the greatest need”.SIPTU Community Sector Organiser, Darragh O’Connor, said: “Anti-poverty programmes such as SICAP have been savaged over the past six years with funding cuts. Dublin is the area with the greatest need for the alleviation of poverty, yet it is taking the biggest funding cut”.He added: “Unless the Department reverses this decision community programmes will close in Dublin”.
SIPTU calls for cancelling of planned cuts to anti-poverty programme in Dublin
