Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
186 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he plans to take to alleviate Travellers living on the sides of roads with no facilities since the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 came into force; and if he intends bringing in legislative measures to ensure that Travellers’ accommodation needs are met. [17009/04]
View answer195 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason after five years, and after the expenditure of so much money, so little has been achieved under the Housing (Travellers Accommodation) Act 1998 for Travellers still living on the side of the road with no facilities; if he will introduce real legislative measures to ensure that Travellers do not have to wait another five years to find that they still have not had their accommodation needs met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17097/04]
View answer
I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 195 together.
The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides the legislative framework for addressing the accommodation needs of Travellers. Under that Act, each relevant local authority was required to prepare, adopt and implement Traveller accommodation programmes to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers. The first programmes covered the period 2000 to 2004. Further programmes will be put in place following the expiry of the current programmes.
The operation of the 1998 Act is currently under review. I requested the national Traveller accommodation consultative committee to advise me in relation to the review and the operation of the Act and to report on its findings to me. I expect this report to be finalised in the near future and I will consider any recommendations arising from that report.
While progress under the programmes adopted by all relevant housing authorities has been slower than originally expected, the accommodation provided under the programmes is addressing the requirements of Traveller families and, in particular, is reducing the number of Traveller families on unauthorised sites. As shown by the annual count of Traveller families undertaken by local authorities each year, 1,369 additional Traveller families were accommodated by, or with the assistance of, local authorities between 2000 and the end of 2003. This figure compares to an increase of 516 in the number of families accommodated in the previous four year period.
Prior to the adoption of the programmes, the number of Traveller families on unauthorised sites had been on the increase. Since the adoption of the programmes, this trend has been reversed and the number of families has reduced in each of the four years of the programmes to date. At the beginning of 2000, there were 1,207 Traveller families on unauthorised sites. This has since been reduced by 419 to 788 families on unauthorised sites at the end of 2003. While this is a welcome trend, it has not been sufficient to address the needs of all families on unauthorised sites. However, I look forward to a renewed impetus in the provision of accommodation for Travellers when the next programmes come into effect.
187 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the safeguards he has put in place to protect the hundreds of Travellers living on unauthorised sites from being prosecuted and having their homes confiscated by the Garda under section 24 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002, while they wait for local authority accommodation. [17010/04]
View answer196 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way in which he proposes to protect the almost 800 Traveller families living on unauthorised sites while they wait for local authority accommodation from being prosecuted and having their homes confiscated by the Garda under section 24 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002; if he, as the Minister responsible for accommodation, will take this matter up with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17098/04]
View answer
I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 196 together.
Part 2(a) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 was inserted by section 24 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is the appropriate Minister for the purposes of the 1994 Act and enforcement under its provisions is a matter for the Garda.
To alleviate the position of Traveller families on unauthorised sites, local authorities as part of their five year Traveller accommodation programmes and, having regard to local circumstances, provide both temporary and emergency accommodation to Traveller families pending the provision of permanent accommodation under the programmes. My Department has issued guidelines to local authorities on the standards of accommodation to be provided on such sites and provides 100% capital assistance to local authorities for all such facilities provided.
While progress has been slower than originally expected, the number of Traveller families on unauthorised sites has reduced from 1,207 at the commencement of the programmes to 788 at the end of 2003.
