I refer to the considerable nuisance caused to urban communities all over the country by travellers who are also traders. They are not by any means poor people but people of considerable wealth. They cannot be compared with itinerants, but travel in huge numbers and cause immense difficulties for people living in housing estates in urban areas and also for the general public. At times the number of caravans involved can be as high as 100. Recently in Portlaoise the number was 200. A month ago they came to Dungarvan in County Waterford and took over all the spaces adjacent to the community centre. There were about 100 caravans in all causing considerable difficulty to the local authority and the adjoining housing estates.
I am asking the Minister to bring in legislation to stop this type of activity. These people are traders. They sell furniture, consumer goods, agricultural implements and gates. They also buy antiques. They stay for quite a time and the local authorities do not have the resources to remove them. The bylaws are insufficient to have them removed. The Garda authorities appear to be powerless because of the numbers involved. Provision should be made in the Roads Bill, 1991 on Committee Stage to ensure that these people cannot congregate or travel in large numbers. I suggest that they should not be allowed congregate in numbers greater than five at any one location at any given time and that such congregations be limited to a radius of one mile.
The Minister of State is probably aware of the nuisance these people create which is unacceptable, unsociable and I ask him to ensure that their activities are curtailed.