Michael Joe Cosgrave
Question:92 Mr. Cosgrave asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will adopt a more dynamic initiative in conjunction with local authorities to house travelling families. [2384/98]
Written Answers. - Travellers Accommodation.
The Action Programme for the Millennium commits the Government to creating a new deal for travellers. On foot of that commitment, I will be pressing ahead with the implementation of the national strategy on traveller accommodation.
The strategy provides for new legislation requiring local authorities to adopt and implement local five year accommodation programmes to meet the needs of existing traveller families and of the anticipated growth in such families during the five year period.
I expect to be in a position to seek Government approval to the text of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Bill within the next few weeks with a view to early publication of the Bill.
Pending the enactment of the legislation, local authorities have been advised of the need to accelerate their existing programmes to ensure progress towards meeting the accommodation targets set out in the national strategy. Expenditure on the provision of travellers group housing and halting sites amounted to £9.5 million in 1997 compared with an outturn of £6.5 million in 1996. A provision of £11 million is available in 1998. In addition standard houses are let to travellers under the ongoing local authority housing programme. There is also a special provision of £1.025 million in 1998 to assist local authorities with the costs of managing and maintaining traveller halting sites.