Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 2

Written Answers. - Traveller Accommodation.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

108 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the action he will take against Fingal County Council in the operation of its duties regarding settlement of Travellers and who, having established its county development plan and Traveller accommodation programme for 2000 to 2004, is now in the process of making amendments to both, to provide extra accommodation units in a ward adjacent to Dublin City Council boundary where 38.7% of the Fingal Traveller population already lives; the action he can take to stop unfair abuse of the procedure by Fingal County Council; and if he will consider altering the boundary between Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council to the natural boundary of the M50 which seems the only real solution. [12276/02]

The variation of a county development plan and the amendment of a Traveller accommodation programme are reserved functions of the elected members of a local authority. I do not consider that any action by my Department would be appropriate in relation to the performance by the local authority of its functions in this case. The current procedures for local authority boundary alterations are set out in Part V of the Local Government Act, 1991, and associated regulations and require initiation by a local authority concerned. Before submitting a formal application to my Department, the proposing authority must invite submissions from the other local authority affected, and from the general public. Any order made by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government altering the boundary of any county or city requires the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas.

Barr
Roinn