Vol. 433 No. 5
5 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he will give a list of the members of the Task Force on Travellers; the terms of reference of the task force; the resources that will be made available to this group to allow it to function efficiently; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The membership of the Task Force on the Travelling Community is as follows: Liz McManus, chairperson; Niall Crowley and Martin Collins, nominees of the Dublin Travellers Education and Development Group; Fr. Bill McKenna, nominee of the Council of Major Religious Superiors; Mary Moriarty representing the National Federation of Irish Travelling People; Chrissie Sullivan of the Irish Travellers Movement; John Magee of the National Association of Traveller Training Centres; Liam Keane, nominee of Kilkenny County Council; Dan O'Sullivan, nominee of Dublin County Council; Brian Mullen, Liam Hughes and Brian Breathnach, who are nominees of the Departments of Health, Education and Environment respectively. Also appointed are Joan Maher of Fine Gael, Catherine Quinn of the Progressive Democrats, Gabriel Cribben and Ita Greene of Fianna Fáil and Senator Mary Kelly of the Labour Party. An officer from the Department of Social Welfare is also being appointed to the task force.
The Terms of Reference are as follows:
(1) to advise and report on the needs of travellers and on Government policy generally in relation to travellers, with specific reference to the co-ordination in policy approaches by Government Departments and local authorities; (2) to make recommendations for consideration by relevant Ministers to ensure that appropriate and co-ordinated planning is undertaken at national and local level in the areas of housing, health, education, equality, employment, cultural and anti-discrimination areas; (3) to draw up a strategy for consideration by relevant Ministers, to define and delineate the respective roles and functions of relevant statutory bodies which cater for the needs of travellers, including recommendations for ensuring that services are provided for travellers in all local authority areas and, likewise, throughout the functional area of each local authority; (4) to report on implementation of measures to meet the Government target of providing permanent serviced caravan site accommodation for all traveller families who require it by the year 2,000. Pending the realisation of that target, to report on arrangements whereby temporary serviced caravan sites should be provided by local authorities for traveller families who require them; and to examine and report on the costings of such sites and to advise and report on the most efficient use of resources in the provision of such sites; (5) to explore the possibilities for developing mechanisms including statutory mechanisms to enable travellers to participate and contribute to decisions affecting their lifestyle and environment; (6) to analyse nomadism in modern Irish society and to explore ways whereby mutual understanding and respect can be developed between the travelling community and the settled community; (7) to report and make recommendations to the Minister on any other matters affecting the general welfare of travellers.
The Government has decided to provide the task force with an annual budget as follows: remainder of 1993—£50,000; 1994—£90,000; 1995—£75,000; 1996 —£60,000.
An officer from my Department has been assigned to undertake the preparatory work in setting up the task force and, in addition, the Government has decided to assign two units of support staff, to be sourced from outside my Department, to service the task force. The inagural meeting of the task force will take place on 9 July 1993 and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them well in the arduous task facing them.
Does the Minister accept that this task force is now going to take over his responsibilities and that, effectively, he will be doing nothing in relation to travellers? Is it further correct that, as reported in the Irish Independent of 29 June, he is personally opposed to the site for travellers being provided at Cookstown Lane in County Dublin by Dublin County Council?
That is a separate matter.
It is in relation to travellers.
It is a distinct matter, worthy of a separate question.
I think it is reasonable to ask the Minister for Equality if he supports Dublin County Council's efforts to provide a temporary halting site in his constitutency.
The Deputy is referring to a specific matter, a specific area——
Yes.
——however, if the Minister wishes to reply, he may do so.
As to the first question raised by the Deputy, my role is essentially a co-ordinating one; it is not a question of the task force supplanting me. The terms of reference of the task force are wide ranging. The responsibility vested in other Ministers and other Departments in connection with travellers still stand. These include, primarily, the Department of the Environment, also the Departments Health and Education and to some extent, the Department of Social Welfare. The primary responsibility for organising halting sites continues to rest with the local authorities.
As to my own position in regard to a particular halting site in my own constituency, which I hold in common with the travelling families that it is intended to move in there, what Deputy Harney said is correct.
What exactly is the Minister's function in relation to travellers? He tells us the role of other Minister, but what exactly can this Minister do for travellers at the moment?
My function is primarily a co-ordinating one. That includes setting up the task force, and that has been done. It was my function also to outline terms of reference and arrange with the Government resources for that task force and to assist and work with it to break the logjam and widespread neglect of travellers in many areas for many years by previous Governments. I hope to achieve a breakthrough in that position. The composition of the task force is well qualified to tackle that problem under the chairmanship of Deputy McManus. I appreciate she has undertaken the arduous and dedicated task of chairing this task force. The task force is made up of travellers, people who work with travellers, and local authority and Government representatives. It is a high powered task force and it will be well served by officials if the Government treat it seriously. Sufficient moneys have been allocated to enable it carry out its work in a proper manner. I look forward to receiving its report in due course in regard to what may be done in this area. When the report comes to hand it will be considered carefully in the Department. Other Ministers who have responsibilities in this area will also consider the report. I will present the report to the Government to seek the authorisations necessary to implement its recommendations as far as possible.
The Minister referred to neglect of travellers. Will he accept that he has now neglected travellers by handing over what should be his responsibility to a task force? That task force was given a four year budget and will sit for four years. Will the Minister agree that he has copped out on this difficult issue?
I would not accept that at all. I would remind the Deputy that she was a Minister in the Department of the Environment which has a primary responsibility in this area.
I did not have responsibility for travellers.
I intend to take an active role in working with the task force.
A co-ordinating role.
I will devise new methods and arrangements to provide for the needs of travellers in respect of accommodation, health and education. I will draw together the various Departments which have a role in this area to achieve what has not been done by previous administrations, including the administration of which the Deputy was a Minister.
The Minister has copped out.
We must now move to Question No. 6.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I cannot entertain the Deputy now. We are dealing with Priority Questions.
I appreciate that, but would you allow me one question?
The Deputy is asking me to violate our Standing Orders and I cannot do that.
Good effort.
