Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2019
1128. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a caravan rental or rent-to-buy scheme that will provide residential standard mobile homes for Travellers will be developed. [44344/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra1132. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a caravan rental or rent-to-buy scheme will be developed that will provide residential standard mobile homes for Travellers. [44555/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1128 and 1132 together.
My Department commissioned the Housing Agency to conduct a comprehensive review of the scheme of loans and grants for caravans that had been in operation since 2000. The Housing Agency surveyed all local authorities and engaged in broad consultation with all key stakeholders. A report on the review was submitted to my Department in 2017.
On foot of the review, I requested that my Department consult with the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee and other relevant stakeholders to consider the development a revised scheme of loans and grants having regard to the recommendations contained in the review. This consultation is ongoing. Further to this, my Department has recently completed an economic assessment of a number of different funding options for the provision of affordable, good quality caravans to Travellers, which is being considered presently.
More broadly, my Department and I, are considering the recommendations made by the Expert Group on Traveller accommodation with a view to implementing appropriate actions and policies that will improve the delivery of Traveller accommodation nationally and help to ensure that full use is made of the increasing level of funding available for investment in Traveller accommodation. The recommendations by the Expert Group are comprehensive and wide ranging, and I will seek to ensure that any revised caravan scheme will align with the recommendations and values of the Expert Group report, as closely as possible.
