Vol. 539 No. 2
137 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 299 of 29 May 2001, he will outline the steps he proposes to take to prevent the illegal encampment of caravans. [19140/01]
I recognise that unauthorised encampments continue to be a source of concern and contention for both the Traveller and settled communities. However, the increased provision of accommodation, including the provision of transient sites, resulting from the implementation of the five-year local Traveller accommodation programmes under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, is assigned greatly to reduce the incidence of illegal encampments.
Local authorities have a range of powers in relation to unauthorised Traveller encampments on public land and on the roadside: section 32 of the 1998 Act as regards encampments which are located within specified distances of Traveller accommodation provided by any housing authority or voluntary body with the assistance of a housing authority, or which are in poor condition or interfere with amenities or are likely to be or are a risk to personal or public health or safety; the Planning Acts in relation to unauthorised development and the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1948, in relation to the prohibition of temporary dwellings in certain areas.
There are further powers and controls under environmental, litter and public health legislation and the legislation relating to the control of dogs and horses. Under the Roads Acts, vehicles must not be parked in a manner which interferes with the normal flow of traffic or which obstructs or endangers other traffic. The Road Traffic Act, 1961, expressly prohibits the parking of a vehicle in a dangerous manner.
The Committee to Monitor and Co-ordinate the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Task Force on the Travelling Community recommends, in its First Progress Report, that the operation of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, Act, should be reviewed in 2002, two years into the delivery of the Traveller accommodation programmes. Any review would therefore include the provisions for dealing with unauthorised encampments as well as the arrangements for the preparation and implementation of all elements of the local Traveller accommodation programmes. Arrangements for carrying out such a review will be considered in due course.
