Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 July 2021
216. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost to the Exchequer of a new traveller specific accommodation unit delivered from the Travellers accommodation budget in the past 24 months.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38830/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 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.
Traveller-specific projects and developments are focused on group housing schemes and halting sites. This includes meeting Traveller-specific housing needs through a range of mechanisms, such as the provision of mobiles and caravans; the provision of new and the refurbishment of existing halting sites and bays; the provision of new group housing schemes and the extension and refurbishment of existing schemes; the return to use of vacant group housing and the acquisition of properties in certain circumstances.
With the exception of the acquisition of properties and the provision of mobiles and caravans the timeline for the initiation, design, planning approval, tendering and contract management of traveller specific accommodation is generally longer than two years, I understand. Therefore, payments made from the traveller specific accommodation budget over the last 24 months in respect of construction projects would not give a reliable indication of average costs as they may not include all payments from initiation to completion in respect of a sufficient quantity of projects to provide a reliable average cost.
Average costs can however be provided for the last 24 months in respect of the acquisition of homes and the provision of mobiles and caravans. In 2019 the average cost for completed acquisitions was €339,750 and in 2020 it was €228,833. It should be borne in mind that the number of acquisitions is relatively small and the average can vary widely from year to year depending upon the number of acquisitions and the size and location of the homes acquired.
In respect of the provision of emergency mobiles/caravans the average cost to my Department was €9,947 in 2019 and €12,662 in 2020. This however only represents 50% of the actual average cost as local authorities fund 50% of the cost under the emergency replacement scheme. In respect of mobiles/caravans provided during the Covid emergency response, my Department funded 100% of the costs of the provision of mobiles/caravans (including associated costs) and the average cost was €22,180.
