Vol. 555 No. 1
171 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason action is not taken against local authorities which are not providing the requisite number of halting sites for travellers; his plans for so doing by way of regulation or legislation in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17533/02]
Under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, each county and city council, borough council and the town councils of Bray and Dundalk are required to prepare and adopt a five-year Traveller accommodation programme and to take reasonable steps to implement it. Such a programme has been adopted by each relevant local authority. My Department is continuing to monitor progress in the implementation of programmes and is liaising with local authorities in this regard.
The Act requires that an accommodation programme must be reviewed at least once in each three year period and a review of all programmes must take place by 31 December 2002. My Department has contacted local authorities regarding the necessity to carry out these reviews.
While the Local Government Act, 2001, includes a provision enabling the Minister to reduce or withhold any grant or any other money due or otherwise payable to a local authority where it has failed or substantially failed to comply with a statutory duty, I have no proposal at this stage have recourse to this power in relation to the provision of Traveller accommodation.
