Vol. 338 No. 4
asked the Minister for the Environment the present position regarding his Department's plans for the resettlement of travelling people in County Dublin in the light of recent decisions by Dublin County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
210.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will now declare that the problem of resettlement of travelling people is a matter to be tackled on a national level; and if he will now set up a task force with the necessary powers to provide halting sites in suitable locations as an intermediate stage in the resettlement of travellers.
211.
asked the Minister for the Environment the steps he proposes to take to deal with the very serious itinerant problem which exists in the Clondalkin and Tallaght areas of County Dublin.
238.
asked the Minister for the Environment the estimated number of families of travelling people at present; and the plans the Government have to deal with their special housing, educational and health problems.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 209, 210, 211 and 238 together. The primary responsibility for the necessary accommodation of travelling people, whether under the normal housing programme or in special schemes, or on halting sites, rests with the local authorities. My Department give every assistance, including recoupment of full capital costs, of providing special accommodation for travelling people and 90 per cent recoupment of the cost of the employment of social workers. It is also the responsibility of the local authority to initiate any action that may be called for to control unauthorised camping in its administrative area.
Local authorities have been asked to prepare and implement plans to cater for the number of travelling families in need of accommodation in their areas. Consultation between the local authorities has been encouraged in the case of families moving between areas.
As a member of Dublin County Council, Deputy Taylor will be aware that I addressed a special appeal to all the members of the Dublin local authorities on 1 June last stressing the urgent need for a crash programme for settlement of travelling families to deal with the intolerable conditions which have been allowed to develop in certain areas, involving serious suffering for many travelling families and their children, and for the settled community as well.
Some progress has been made but a great deal remains to be done. I have made it clear that I see the answer to this problem in terms of the necessary intensification of effort being applied by the local authorities concerned, in Dublin and elsewhere. I have no proposals for setting up another body to take over those responsibilities.
The Travelling People Review Group which was set up jointly by the Ministers for Health and the Environment in January 1981 to review the current policies and programmes generally in relation to services and support for travelling people is expected to report shortly. Any advice they have to offer in regard to furtherance of the settlement programme will receive close consideration.
The estimated number of travelling families in the country in November 1981 was 2,550, of which 1,350 had been provided for in housing or chalets or approved sites. I have asked local authorities to have a count of travelling people carried out on 16 November 1982 which will give up-dated information on present numbers.
