asked the Minister for the Environment his policy on itinerant settlement in County Dublin; and if he agrees with the views of the people that the proposals should be rejected.
Written Answers. - Itinerant Settlement.
402.
My principal function with regard to travellers is the provision of assistance to local authorities towards the development of their accommodation programmes. The primary responsibility for the provision of the necessary accommodation for travelling people rests with local authorities, whether under the normal housing programme or in special schemes, or on halting sites. My Department give every assistance including recoupment of full capital costs of providing special accommodation for travelling people and 90 per cent recoupment of the cost of the employment of social workers.
My policy towards accommodation for travellers is essentially the same as that of my predecessors. Every traveller family entitled to be housed should be given due consideration under local authority statutory schemes of letting priorities. For those who cannot appropriately be housed, places on serviced sites should be made available.
There are now over 400 families on the roadside in Dublin county. That statistic covers a great deal of suffering and deprivation, serious environmental damage in many areas, and increasing social tensions. There is no answer to this except in a realistic settlement programme for these families: otherwise the conditions, and the strains, will get worse. The implications of the situation will have to be faced up to by all the interests concerned — by the local authorities, by the settled communities and their associations, and by the travelling families themselves.
Local authorities have been urged repeatedly to prepare and implement plans to cater for the families in need of accommodation in their areas. The Deputy will recall that, as Minister, he made a strong plea last June to all members of the Dublin local authorities stressing the urgent need for a crash programme for settlement of travelling families in the area. The proposals to which the Deputy refers are part of the county council's response to the need. I understand that it is the intention that other schemes also will be developed. Against the background as I have given it, a realistic programme for settlement of travelling families in the Dublin area must have my full support in principle. It is a matter for the county council to decide in regard to the details of particular schemes. It is very important, of course, that there should be full consultation with local communities and I understand that this is being done.