I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.
In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, statutory 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 Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP), Traveller-specific accommodation such as group housing and halting site bays and funded by means of 100% capital grant, private housing assisted by local authority or voluntary housing bodies, private rented accommodation and through their own resources. It is open to Travellers to opt for any form of accommodation, including Traveller-specific accommodation, and local authority programmes are intended to reflect these preferences.
Local Authorities are statutorily required to prepare and adopt multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes for their areas. The current round of Traveller Accommodation Programmes for the period 2009 - 2013 are due to be completed in December and authorities are currently making arrangements for the next round of programmes which will run from 2014 to 2018. Since the adoption of the third round of programmes in 2009, it is estimated that over 450 units of Traveller-specific accommodation had been provided by end 2012, supported by the provision of approximately €50 million in capital funding from my Department. My Department also provides funding for accommodation related supports which operate in tandem with the capital programme. In total, over €7 million is being provided for Traveller accommodation purposes this year.
My Department closely monitors progress by housing authorities in relation to the implementation of their annual work programmes for the supply and improvement of social housing funded under SHIP, including Traveller accommodation. Capital allocations issue annually to housing authorities for each of the principal measures under SHIP, including Traveller accommodation. Housing authorities are required to submit quarterly profiles of expenditure under each of these measures. Expenditure is being closely monitored against the projected spend figures and the matter is also the subject of discussions between my Department and the authorities at meetings to review housing work programmes.
Local authorities are required to produce annual progress reports which measure the provision of Traveller accommodation in a given year against the target figure contained in their Traveller Accommodation Programme. As part of this process, housing authorities are requested to provide an explanation for any variations between targets and outputs. Local authorities cite various reasons for failing to meet targets and these include Traveller families refusing offers of accommodation, families only willing to live in certain areas where housing availability may be an issue, difficulties in obtaining Traveller agreement locally, planning and legal problems, difficulties in obtaining site access and anti-social behaviour by Traveller families which can delay development of projects. This information is circulated to, and discussed by, the statutory National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee at its meetings during the year and which advises me on a range of issues in relation to Traveller accommodation.
My Department monitors progress and expenditure on an ongoing basis. In the last two weeks, letters issued to all local authorities requesting them to furnish details of their projected expenditure on approved projects to end 2013. This information will allow the timely review and adjustment of budgets and any necessary reallocation of funding between local authorities. Having regard to the robust monitoring procedures already in place, I have no proposals to introduce further regulations in relation to the drawdown of allocations by local authorities in respect of their Traveller accommodation programmes.
