Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

When we have a conversation about Traveller accommodation or lack thereof, we are having a conversation about human rights and the denial of human rights.

The expert group clearly has important work to do and the recommendations it comes up with will be important for the Traveller community, society and human rights. The discussion needs to be framed in this context.

I will use the example of the fire in Carrickmines. In the immediate aftermath of the fire local authorities throughout the country generally moved to take some action under pressure of public opinion and with a spotlight on the inaction of the past. What was done? There was some signage and some fire-fighting equipment and smoke detectors were installed on sites and an element of training was given, but as the weeks and months rolled by less and less was done and at a certain stage it came to a virtual standstill. Was the job complete when things came to a virtual standstill? Very far from it.

I highlight in particular the question of overcrowding on sites. I understand best practice, and what is meant to be achieved, is a 6 m gap between mobile homes, caravans and buildings. There is overcrowding on Traveller sites in this State and in the city where I am a public representative, and the 6 m gap is not met by a long shot. If we look at the halting site in Spring Lane in Ballyvolane on the north side of Cork city, if anything the overcrowding situation there is worse than it was a couple of years ago. The fire safety precautions that were meant to be implemented nationally in the wake of the tragedy do not come close to applying in daily practice on the site. Is it the only site in the country where this is the case? I very much doubt it. I have plenty of anecdotal evidence that it is not the only one. I use this as one example of a situation that needs to be addressed with urgency.

There is an elephant in the room, which is the conversation and debate that was had in the recent presidential election and its aftermath. It is not unusual to have wannabe politicians and councillors playing the Traveller card in local authority areas to big up their vote but this was on a level that had not been seen before in the State. A candidate in national presidential election cynically stirred up and appealed to anti-Traveller attitudes in society to boost his profile and vote.

Unfortunately, that was done with some success by the candidate in question. Against that backdrop, there could be a pressure or perceived pressure on the expert group to go easy or to soften the approach and come up with recommendations that do not rock the boat, but in the aftermath of that controversy I believe it is more important than ever that the expert group brings forward recommendations that are bold, radical and address the festering issues and problems that exist. This issue has been pushed to the side for far too long, as shown by the lack of spend in so many local authorities. It requires courage and proposals that match the needs of the situation, including addressing the human rights issues that are clearly present.

On the question of steps for consideration, a spotlight must be shone on the lack of both action and spending by local authorities, followed by proposals on how to address that. Nine councils did not invest any funds in housing schemes last year and only seven drew down 100% of the funding. In the Cork City Council area, despite the fact that there are at least 50 families living in overcrowded conditions, €97,000 from a fund of €1.1 million was spent. In fact, more than €4 million of the funds allocated last year in the country generally were not spent. I will not labour the point as the witnesses are aware of the information.

The information provided to the committee by Senator Kelleher contains a figure I had not heard about previously. Some €4.7 million-----