Vol. 541 No. 3
132 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his Department's strategy regarding Traveller accommodation; the local authorities which have strategies in place which are working to provide Traveller accommodation; the number of indigenous travelling families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22678/01]
My Department's objective in this area is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial framework within which local authorities, voluntary bodies and Travellers may provide or be assisted in the provision of management of accommodation for Travellers.
One of the principal requirements of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, is the preparation, adoption and implementation by relevant local authorities of five year programmes to accelerate the provision of accommodation for Travellers. All relevant local authorities have adopted and are currently implementing their respective programmes involving the provision of some 3,785 units of accommodation over the five year period from 2000 to 2004.
The result of the latest annual count of Traveller families undertaken in November 2000 shows that the total number of Traveller families accommodated or assisted by local authorities, or on the roadside, was 4,898.
