Eoin Ó Broin
Question:143. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his plans regarding a matter (details supplied). [29174/16]
View answerThursday, 6 October 2016
Questions (143)
Written answers
My Department has worked closely with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and other stakeholders to meet the accommodation and other needs of the bereaved families in the aftermath of the Carrickmines tragedy. Temporary emergency accommodation for the surviving family members has been in place in Ballyogan since shortly after the tragedy. Following discussions with the family around its preferred options, the Council proposed to develop a permanent four-bay halting site at Glenamuck Road, Carrickmines, which is in accordance with its Traveller Accommodation Programme. The planning process was completed in July and, following a submission from the Council, my Department has given approval to the Council to proceed to tender. The Council expects that the accommodation will be ready for these families by mid-2017.
In addition to the accommodation needs, a number of actions were implemented in the days following the tragedy and there has been on-going engagement with the bereaved and those affected by the events at Carrickmines over the last twelve months. My Department co-ordinated the State’s response across a range of Departments, Agencies and NGOs in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. This included Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the Departments of Justice and Equality and Social Protection, the HSE, Traveller Counselling Service, An Garda Síochána and St Vincent de Paul. This collaborative approach proved very effective in tackling the range of issues faced by the families and in planning for medium and longer term delivery of supports and services.
A Steering Group, hosted by Southside Traveller Action Group (STAG) and including the Departments, Agencies and NGOs mentioned above, is in place since the tragedy to manage and oversee the response to the immediate and subsequent needs of the bereaved. This has ensured that vital health, financial and other supports, such as pastoral care and counselling services, were provided as a priority, as well as actions to meet the longer term needs. Other supports provided by my Department have included practical assistance to Southside Travellers Action Group (STAG) and to Bray Travellers Community Development Group in respect of costs related to, inter alia, provisions, utilities, Counselling Services (including psychotherapy supports for the bereaved children) and media costs. The costs of the funerals were met on the basis of one third each by my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Social Protection. The Steering Group remains in place to ensure a continued co-ordinated range of supports is available to support the bereaved families.