Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for inviting me here today to speak about the implementation of the Traveller accommodation programmes. It is timely to have this discussion now and it is a worthwhile focus for the committee over the months ahead.

I thank the committee for its interest in the area.

In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities are responsible 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 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. Under section 10 of the Act, housing authorities are required to prepare and adopt a TAP for their respective areas for a five-year period or such shorter period as the Minister may direct. These programmes provide a roadmap for local authority investment priorities over the period. They also form the basis for the allocation of funding from my Department for Traveller-specific accommodation such as group housing and halting sites. Section 10 of the Act also requires relevant housing authorities to review their TAPs at least once in each three-year period, or at such time as the Minister with responsibility may direct. A local authority also has discretion to initiate a review at any time during the period of its TAP.

Over the past ten years, from 2008 to 2017, my Department has recouped in excess of €105 million to local authorities from a capital budget of €156.8 million. This represents a 67% drawdown on capital funding by local authorities collectively. Capital funding of €12 million has been provided by my Department for Traveller-specific accommodation in 2018, which is an increase of €3 million on the 2017 allocation, and a similar increase on the 2016 allocation. We would all agree it is an area we want to see increased funding in, which is part of the reason we are here. The budget allocation has increased gradually over the past number of years. It took a hit like all social housing projects during the years of the downturn. I am committed, as Minister of State, with the Department and the committee, to trying to restore the funding over time but also find improved ways of spending it.

Given the increased capital budgets allowing for the provision of Traveller-specific accommodation and also the fact that we are now approaching our fifth TAP commencing in 2019, it was opportune to explore issues and barriers to the delivery of Traveller-specific accommodation. My Department is particularly concerned about the underspend in this area, given the demand of Traveller-specific accommodation from the Traveller community. Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s action plan on housing and homelessness, committed the Housing Agency to undertake an expert, independent review of capital and current funding for Traveller-specific accommodation to date. This review was to have regard to targets contained in the local authority Traveller accommodation programmes and units delivered, the current status of accommodation funded and funding provided for accommodation maintenance and other supports. The purpose of this was to provide factual information, analysis and identification of particular challenges, as a key platform to undertake an audit of implementation and delivery of the TAPs with a focus on appropriate supply of accommodation.

The Housing Agency submitted its report to my Department in June 2017. The report was subsequently considered by the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, NTACC. This committee has a statutory responsibility to advise me, as the responsible Minister of State, on matters concerning Traveller accommodation. The NTACC subsequently recommended to me that an expert group, independent from the NTACC, be established to examine and make recommendations on issues regarding Traveller accommodation policy, strategy and implementation. I fully support this recommendation. The NTACC is meeting later today to consider the terms of reference for the work of the expert group. A second meeting is scheduled for later in the month. It is my intention to establish this group as soon as possible with a view to it concluding its work within a short timeframe. If we can get the terms of reference agreed in today's meeting or the one before the end of March, there is no reason we cannot pick the members of the expert group soon afterwards to get their work under way. There is no reason that work cannot be completed in a three-month or four-month timeframe. I will not dictate to the NTACC how to do its work but I met the chairman and I have asked it to expedite its work because we have a lot of research done in the report we will discuss today. Hopefully the expert panel can get on with its work quite quickly after that.

I look forward to the report arising from the expert group’s work which should provide an insight into issues while also providing a platform for a future plan for the delivery of safe and culturally appropriate accommodation. The Department will consider any recommendations made by the expert group to improve the delivery of Traveller accommodation nationally and to ensure that full use is made of the increasing level of funding available for investment in Traveller accommodation. I will reinforce the point that the aim is to increase the funding but also to make sure we are spending it. When one analyses the report, one sees the percentage that is not being spent. It is not good enough. It is not acceptable. We have to change the way we are doing our business. We have to change the relationship between local authorities and the Traveller community and the settled community and find new ways to make it happen a lot faster. There are different reasons this money is not being spent. We have to find ways to make sure it is spent and that everyone carries out their duties and responsibilities in this area. I am delighted the committee is taking it on as an area of work over the next number of months to monitor the work of the expert panel. When we get the recommendations back from the expert group, which I hope we will get in the summer, we will make quick decisions as a Department. We will not hang around. The aim is to make the changes this year, if at all possible.