I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together.
In accordance with the provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes, designed to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department's role is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial system in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation.
Accommodation for Travellers is provided across a range of options including standard local authority housing, which is financed from my Department's capital allocation for social housing, private housing assisted by the housing authority or voluntary organisations, private rented accommodation and through their own resources. My Department also provides funding for Traveller-specific accommodation such as group housing schemes and halting sites.
The Government remains committed to meeting the accommodation needs of Travellers. Since 2005, over €187m has been expended for the provision of new, and refurbishment of existing, Traveller-specific accommodation. This is in addition to expenditure on standard local authority housing and other housing supports. The results of this substantial financial commitment are reflected in the significant reduction in the numbers of Traveller families on unauthorised sites, despite continuous increases in the numbers of Traveller families nationally.
The National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (NTACC) is a statutory body established for the purposes of providing advice on all matters relating to housing for Travellers. While the matter of a Traveller-led accommodation agency has been examined, no firm proposals have been put forward for consideration by the NTACC. A proposal for a statutory Traveller accommodation agency, as set out in the 1995 Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community, was considered by my Department. However, it was subsequently decided not to establish such an Agency and I have no plans to review the matter at this time.
