Ms RoseMarie Maughan:

I fully support what my colleagues, Mr. Collins and Ms Joyce, have said. In terms of ITM members, we believe in democracy but unfortunately from what we heard today from elected representatives and from Traveller representatives, there is no democracy for Travellers who are living in third world conditions. We had engaged with these structures in which we had high hopes when we got the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act over the line. We thought and we hoped it would work. We worked hard and shed blood, tears, sweat, you name it, to make sure it would work. It has not worked. It has failed miserably and it is down to the implementation at a local level. We heard from different people in the room that one of the biggest blocks is Part 8 and it came up strongly in the review we are discussing as well as objections from local residents. Local Traveller accommodation consultative committee, LTACC, members have said it is a block to Traveller accommodation. ITM members have said taps are signed off on by the local Traveller accommodation consultative committee and then it goes before the council and the targets are diluted. Some local authority representatives come out publicly with anti-Traveller racist sentiments towards Travellers but nothing is said and it is tolerated. Some local representatives say Traveller-specific accommodation is a failed concept. These people are sitting on the LTACC advising local authorities on our behalf on how Traveller accommodation programmes need to be implemented. How is that democracy for Travellers? How is that democracy for the poor innocent Traveller children living on the roadside?