Vol. 491 No. 6
211 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that delegation of powers to county and city managers to implement housing programmes for travellers as opposed to devolving the power to local authority members is in keeping with European Union subsidiarity laws; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13072/98]
The purpose of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Bill, 1998, is to put in place a legal framework within which accommodation for travellers can be provided within a reasonable period of time. Section 7 provides that the adoption, amendment or replacement of a traveller accommodation programme is a reserved function, that is, it is to be adopted by resolution of the members of the authority. It is only in the event that the members of an authority fail to perform their duty by the date specified by the Minister that the manager is required to adopt the programme by order within one month of that date. The manager may make such amendments to the draft programme as are, in the opinion of the manager, considered appropriate which allows the manager to take account of views expressed by members of the authority in the course of the debate on the adoption of the programme. I consider that this measure is not out of line with the principle of subsidiarity and is justified to ensure that necessary progress is made by local authorities with the provision of accommodation for travellers.
