Ms Denise Collins:

I am the national support and development worker for National Traveller MABS. I am joined by Ms Foley, who is our social policy and financial inclusion worker. National Traveller MABS was established in 2005. It is the leading advocate for the financial inclusion of Travellers in Ireland. National Traveller MABS works to reduce poverty, discrimination and the financial exclusion of Travellers in Ireland. We work with the Traveller community and organisations as well as with MABS and the citizen's information service to change policies and practices that impact Travellers financially.

National Traveller MABS is funded by the Citizens Information Board. According to the World Bank's definition of financial inclusion it means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, with transactions, payments, savings, credits and insurance delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. Access to a transaction account is the first step towards financial inclusion as it is the gateway to other financial services.

I have begun with the definition of financial inclusion because Irish Travellers remain one of the most financially excluded groups in Ireland today. Financial exclusion affects every aspect of a person's life, including their accommodation, physical and mental health, education and employment possibilities. Financial exclusion limits access to basic financial services and hinders opportunities for savings and financial stability. It also obstructs access to credit, making it challenging, if not impossible, to address emergencies or pursue education. Overall, it maintains the cycle of limited economic growth and opportunities in which we can clearly see the Traveller community being held.

Access to the bank may be the first step towards financial inclusion but 63% of Travellers still do not have a bank account. This means access to online retail and other services are curtailed. If people do not have a bank account they lose out on the savings given by utility companies for direct debit payments. They cannot access payments spread over a longer period of time. They cannot access loans or other forms of credit. Access to credit is extremely difficult for many families. Without a bank account, access to credit is impossible and leaves people at the mercy of illegal money lenders.

A central issue for families living on halting sites is financing the purchase of a trailer and accessing credit in respect of this can be very difficult and very expensive. While National Traveller MABS welcomes the reintroduction of the trailer loan scheme we have many concerns about how accessible and affordable it is for many families. We have received feedback from individual Travellers, from our colleagues in MABS and from local authorities that the loan still remains inaccessible for many families who are in dire need of it because their budget cannot stretch to affording the repayments. These families continue to live in substandard accommodation, which has knock-on effects on their physical and mental health and every aspect of their daily lives.

Another concern is the purchasing power of the loan amount. We recommend that any trailer purchased must meet the BS3636 standard. This standard is contained in the Department of housing's Circular 46/2016. The loan amount is not sufficient to purchase a trailer of this standard at current retail prices. Research carried out by National Traveller MABS in conjunction with Atlantic Technology University Sligo found the cost of a new residential-standard trailer for a two-person household begins at €60,000. Delivery, installation and disposal costs can be as high as another €5,000. National Traveller MABS is of the opinion that a trailer rental scheme run alongside a trailer loan scheme would be a more appropriate way to ensure families living in poverty can access energy-efficient mobiles suitable for year-round living.

The trailers being provided through the scheme are not residential-standard trailers. This means they are not suitable for year-round living and are putting families further into debt and fuel poverty. Research carried out by National Traveller MABS found that 77% of Travellers living in mobile homes were living in energy poverty in 2019 and were 14 times more likely to go without heating than the general population. This was long before the current energy crisis began. We know this situation has only got worse. While we welcome the supports the Government announced in the energy action plan for 2022 and 2023, the fact is that the majority of Travellers, especially those living in trailers, did not see any of these benefits. This is simply because they are living in trailers. Because of their living situation they are not eligible for the fuel allowance. As they share a bay or live adjacent to a house they are deemed to be the same household even though this is not the case.

The electricity credit benefit scheme also did not benefit many Travellers. National Traveller MABS has been working with Senator Flynn on this issue since the first credit was issued. The Government has promised that all Traveller families who did not get the credits will be reimbursed but we know there are still families who have not received it even though they pay their energy bills the same as everybody else. Many Travellers living on sites do not have individual MPRN numbers. They do not even know who their energy supplier is beyond the local authority. As another round of credits is being issued this month we know there are still Traveller families who cannot afford to heat their homes. They send their children to bed with extra blankets to keep them warm. They use candles rather than electricity. Every day they have to make decisions between heating and food for their families. The situation is not good enough and urgent intervention by the Government is needed. Government intervention is needed across the board to ensure Travellers can be financially included and can begin to be fully included in Irish society.