Mr. Martin Collins:

I wish to make two points about the Planning and Development Bill and first the city and county development plans. As I said earlier, we are looking for a better alignment and coherence between the Traveller accommodation programmes and the city and county development plans. There is no alignment there at the moment. Traveller accommodation needs to be named and zoned in the city and county development plans because if they are not, then residents will legally challenge the plans. Invariably, they win because local authorities are being accused, and in this context rightly so, of being in breach of their own development plans if they build accommodation and it is not reflected in their development plans. We want a better alignment between the TAP and the city and county development plans. That is absolutely essential.

On the broader question, my view as a layperson is that it would be useful and beneficial to have Traveller accommodation named and specified in the Planning and Development Bill when it becomes an Act rather than not.