Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 December 2014
99. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way the funding for traveller accommodation will be allocated; and the measures in place to ensure that there is sufficient draw down of funds. [40938/14]
View answerDetails of funding to be provided in 2015 under individual elements of my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, including the allocation for Traveller-specific accommodation, will be set out in the 2015 Revised Estimates Volume to be published later this month. Thereafter, the allocation of funding for traveller accommodation to individual local authorities will be finalised, taking account of the accommodation needs of travellers specified in the accommodation programmes of each local authority, as adopted in accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998. In that regard, funding for 2015 for Traveller-specific accommodation is likely to be mainly allocated by local authorities to projects that are already under construction, due to commence construction during 2015, or projects that will be newly approved during 2015.
The implementation of the accommodation programme of each local authority, including the drawdown of funds, is thereafter a matter for the authorities themselves and they are required to review the accommodation programmes in accordance with Section 17 of the 1998 Act.
Local authorities are required to produce annual progress reports regarding Traveller accommodation which measure the provision of this accommodation in a given year against the target figure contained in their Traveller Accommodation Programme. These reports are available to the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee which advises me in relation to general matters concerning accommodation for travellers, including the preparation, adequacy, implementation and co-ordination of traveller accommodation programmes.
The local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees appointed by each local authority also have a role to advise on the provision and management of accommodation for travellers, including the implementation of the accommodation programmes.
