Traveller Accommodation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 May 2017

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Ceisteanna (123)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

123. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to each local authority in each of the years 2014 to 2016 for Traveller housing; and the amount that was recouped by each local authority. [22438/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

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. 

 The first three TAPs covered the periods 2000-2004, 2005-2008 and 2009-2013.  Local authorities adopted the fourth and current round of TAPs in April 2014, with the five-year rolling programmes running from 2014 to 2018.  These programmes provide a road map for local authority investment priorities over the period.  They also form the basis for the allocation of funding from my Department for Traveller accommodation.  Local authorities submit proposals for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments which are assessed on a case-by-case basis in my Department, in advance of allocations being made. 

 The allocations and recoupment profiles for capital Traveller accommodation projects can vary across local authorities given the local priorities, circumstances and project timelines as set out in the TAPs.  Funding is recouped to local authorities on eligible expenditure incurred and, where it is likely that an allocation to a local authority may be unspent or under-spent, my Department engages with local authorities to re-allocate the funding in order to try to ensure that drawdown is maximised. The allocations and recoupment in relation to local authority traveller accommodation programmes for the years 2014-2016 are set out in tabular form in the table.

County Council	Allocation 2014	Recouped 2014	Allocation 2015	Recouped 2015	Allocation 2016	Recouped 2016
Carlow	0	0	0	0	130,000	0
Cavan	0	0	0	0	8,600	9,398
Clare	181,976	250,613	37,000	0	200,000	0
Cork	0	15,322	149,000	0	30,000	0
Donegal	0	3,175	0	4,750	82,000	74,532
South Dublin	24,750	46,978	0	0	63,000	26,397
Fingal	222,575	424,754	645,000	1,113,425	26,842	0
Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown	8,793	23,986	0	1,592,429	419,095	129,552
Galway	0	0	0	0	117,000	123,816
Kerry	99,571	144,415	4,550	3,810	57,000	255,730
Kildare	300,000	0	200,000	0	200,000	0
Kilkenny	450,000	287,239	551,626	397,577	377,500	431,714
Laois	0	60,262	0	30,600	0	0
Leitrim	0	0	0	65,975	18,800	12,794
Limerick	0	0	*	*	*	*
Longford	0	25,000	78,000	88,966	2,900	0
Louth	0	0	0	7,620	0	444,484
Mayo	0	3,810	0	0	0	0
Meath	0	0	0	0	120,000	76,877
Monaghan	0	0	0	0	0	0
North Tipperary	353,656	*	*	*	*	*
Offaly	70,000	73,760	3,069	85,000	73,000	37,775
Roscommon	54,000	96,126	19,622	0	50,000	10,808
Sligo	0	0	0	0	0	0
South Tipperary	0*	*	*	*	*	*
Tipperary	n/a	291,874	800,000	23,142	900,000	1,399,370
Waterford	0	*	*	*	*	*
Westmeath	0	0	95,000	0	208,000	48,000
Wexford	105,901	328,733	0	30,906	96,000	87,695
Wicklow	0	67,038	63,097	27,891	46,000	0
City Council
Cork	256,687	206,913	800,000	427,304	400,000	301,796
Dublin	407,500	481,693	366,299	99,162	1,405,198	762,342
Galway	75,127	72,241	0	62,150	40,000	0
Limerick	350,000	249,987	7,500	68,923	81,000	21,209
Waterford	0	9,769	413,347	0	263,000	13,545
Reserve	39,464		66,890		85,065
TOTAL	3,000,000	3,163,688	4,300,000	4,129,630	5,500,000	4,267,831

*These local authorities merged in June 2014 (i.e. Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford).