asked the Minister for Local Government the total number of itinerant families in Ireland as of the latest available date; the total number of persons in such families; and the average number of itinerant families settled each year during the past five years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Itinerant Families.
133.
Returns furnished by local authorities on a count of itinerants taken on 13th January, 1971, recorded 1,302 families comprising 7,778 persons.
An annual average of 56 families have been provided with accommodation on camping sites over the past five years. I may mention that 91 families were so facilitated in 1971. Since then 20 families have been so accommodated and sites for about 100 further families are under construction or at an advanced planning stage.
No separate records are kept by local authorities of itinerant families housed by them; but on the basis of information available an annual average of over 30 itinerant families have been housed over the same period.