Seamus Healy
Ceist:319. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when funding for a demountable will be made available in respect of persons (details supplied). [26482/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 September 2016
Ceisteanna (319)
Freagraí scríofa
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 capital funding supports provided by my Department, funding of 50% is provided to housing authorities for the purchase of ‘Emergency Replacement Mobiles’. A ‘demountable’ falls into the category of a mobile, as it is not considered to be permanent accommodation in accordance with building standards. An emergency in this respect is an unanticipated event, such as flood/storm/fire damage, that would render a caravan uninhabitable or dangerous to live in. Emergency is not where a caravan falls into disrepair over time due to lack of maintenance, as this can be foreseen and preventative action taken by the owner/local authority. Also, overcrowding is not deemed as an emergency situation, as this is something which should be managed within the housing authority’s social housing waiting list or Traveller Accommodation Programme.
In respect of the case referred to in the Question, Tipperary County Council requested funding from my Department towards the cost of a demountable. In accordance with the criteria outlined above, my Department recently wrote to the Council confirming that the request was not deemed to be an emergency situation and therefore did not meet the criteria for funding support, and advised the Council to consider a more permanent solution to meeting this family’s accommodation needs – this would include, such as mentioned above, responding through the normal social housing process or through Traveller-specific accommodation within the Traveller Accommodation Programme.