asked the Minister for Local Government what is the present position in regard to the examination by Government Departments of the Report on Itinerancy; and when legislation in this regard may be expected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Report on Itinerancy.
11.
I would refer the Deputy to my recent announcement as to the immediate steps proposed by the Government to meet the main recommendations 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. Consideration is being given to other recommendations of the Commission. There is no immediate necessity for the introduction of legislation in this matter as the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 provides statutory authority for provision of the sites.
Is the Minister not aware of the urgency of taking positive action is this whole difficulty? Is he aware of the fact that there are 300 itinerents in one small area in Ballyfermot and that the law, so far, has failed to shift them?
If everybody adopted that attitude the solution would be to push them into the Irish Sea. In so far as the built-up areas are concerned, with particular reference to Dublin city and county, not only have the Dublin Health Authority been circularised, as has every other local authority, with a view to providing camping sites but personal approaches have been made to the Manager of the city and county of Dublin with a view to having these sites available in a matter of months.
Can the Minister take any action in order to see that the 300 human beings, men, women and children at present in Cherry Orchard can be protected in some way from the oncoming winter in view of the proposed decision of the courts to remove them by next Tuesday?
In so far as that is concerned, my view is that the aim of all sides would be to get them into permanent dwellings as soon as possible. In the meantime I shall do everything I can about the provision of legalised camping sites, with water and the necessary sanitary facilities available, as an immediate objective. This we shall pursue with the greatest possible speed through the local authorities who are now sharing the greater part of the problem—Dublin city and county.
I do not wish to embarrass the Minister in his work, because he is clearly very interested in it and is doing everything he can, but could I ask him to look into the question to see if there is any solution which can provide alternative accommodation and at the same time make this accommodation acceptable to the health authorities so that these unfortunate people, our fellow citizens, will not be thrown into the awful tent accommodation they had last year? They worked very hard to make themselves as weather-proof as possible.
I am aware of what they have been doing for themselves. For the benefit of the Deputy, I reiterate that the advisory committee proposed to be set up is in the course of being set up and I hope to have it meet in the very near future. I assure the House that anything capable of being done through my Department is being done to get on to the local authorities in whose territory these people live. This will continue in the immediate weeks ahead.
Does the Minister consider it fair to expect Dublin city and county to bear practically the entire responsibility for this problem?
That is another question.
In case this supplementary may be given any credence, in case it should be taken as a fact, the suggestion that this or any other local authority are expected to bear the whole cost is entirely and completely wrong. So far, up to two-thirds of the cost of providing the minimum essential camp sites, with water and sanitary facilities, is proposed to be borne by the central authority.
By comparison with the other authorities——
That is the whole point. Before we got to the point of making these decisions, of accepting part of the Commission's report and making the announcement we did, the two Dublin authorities appeared to be desirous of doing certain things but did not seem to have the powers to do them. Now I am giving them the power to provide these minimum requirements but Deputy Clinton, by inference, seems to suggest they are not prepared to do it.
They are doing their fair share.