Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2018
80. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the spending of local authority Traveller accommodation budgets for 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47162/18]
View answer87. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on the fact that up to nine local authorities have not drawn down allocated funds for Traveller accommodation in the past year; if he will consider directing local authorities to make use of these funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47118/18]
View answer89. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has given consideration to taking action against local authorities that do not spend their allocated funding for Traveller specific accommodation in a given year in order to address the substandard accommodation in which many Traveller families are living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46900/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 87 and 89 together.
In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
As part of the allocation process, local authorities submit a programme of capital works for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments, which are assessed in my Department, in advance of allocations being made. Further funding is considered by my Department throughout the year, on a case by case basis. In 2017, the allocation for Traveller specific accommodation was €9 million. The actual outturn was €4.835 million or 54% of the total allocation. The 2018 exchequer provision for Traveller specific accommodation is €12 million, an increase of 33% on the 2017 allocation.
In line with the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland, and reflecting the disappointing level of overall funding drawdown in recent years, the Housing Agency, in 2017, commissioned a review of funding for traveller-specific accommodation to date. This review had regard to targets contained in local authority TAPs and actual delivery, the current status of accommodation funded and funding provided for accommodation maintenance and other supports.
Following its consideration of the review, the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee recommended that an Independent Expert Group be established to examine and make recommendations on issues regarding Traveller accommodation policy, strategy and implementation. That Expert Group has now been established and has been tasked with reviewing the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 and all other legislation that impacts the delivery of Traveller Accommodation. I have asked the Expert Group to bring forward recommendations that will improve the delivery of Traveller accommodation nationally.
My Department will consider any recommendations made by the Expert Group that improve the delivery of Traveller accommodation nationally and help to ensure that full use is made of the increasing level of funding available for investment in Traveller accommodation.
