Vol. 212 No. 2
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he is aware of the increased number of itinerant families residing in the area of Dublin city and county; and if he will take steps to ensure that the nuisance and annoyance suffered by law-abiding citizens, taxpayers and ratepayers in the area will be abated by positive Government action relating to this problem.
41.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will take a census and prepare a register of itinerants, their families and their location with a view to controlling the activities of such families, which are detrimental to peace-loving responsible taxpaying citizens resident in Dublin city and county.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together.
I would refer the Deputy to my recent announcement as to the immediate steps proposed by the Government to meet the main recommendations in the Report of the Commission on Itinerancy. These steps include the provision by local authorities, with the aid of generous State subsidies, of fully serviced camping sites for itinerants and the appointment of an advisory committee to advise on measures to promote the rehabilitation and absorption of itinerants into the community.
Is it the Minister's intention that an appeal should merely be made to local authorities to provide serviced sites, or is there going to be an element of compulsion on the various local authorities to provide serviced sites throughout the country?
I am afraid I did not catch the first part of the supplementary question. I was looking for this mythical microphone that was supposed to be under my papers and which I was charged with not using.
I was asking was it the Minister's intention to use compulsion or would just appeals be made to the local authorities? If that is so, does he not see the danger that if one local authority provides serviced sites, they will get all the itinerants and I am afraid we are going to get them all in Dublin? We have quite a number as it is.
That is quite a real difficulty in this matter. The one thing I should say is that certain local authorities have indicated that if they did have the go-ahead for certain elementary requirements, they would go ahead with them as an interim emergency measure. It is on that basis that I have said they may proceed with the provision of these first essential requirements. I feel that the advisory council or committee which I have suggested may prove very useful in regard to such problems as the dispersal of these various facilities in different parts of the country.
Does the Minister see the necessity for placing some obligation on every local authority?
It is all very well to say that the Minister should present the local authorities with the problem and tell them to solve it. What is the problem of any particular local authority? How do you find the problem?
It is a national problem.
How do you find how many are there, where they were yesterday and where they will be tomorrow?
They will have to declare for the different counties.
They have already done so.
