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

We expect the expert panel to report to us in April at the latest. I am engaging with it and, as of last week, it was on track to do that. I will not try to guess what it will recommend in terms of significant changes. Everyone at this meeting is committed to working with the panel's suggestions and trying to implement them. It is not just desirable, but necessary, that we do our job in this regard, which has not been the case in many local authorities. The expert panel has been asked to recommend whatever it takes to make the changes that will allow us to increase the spend on and delivery of accommodation that is suitable for Travellers. We are prepared to work with those recommendations, but I do not know what they will be. I have not given the panel any instruction and it has not asked for instructions. I have been clear that we want changes that will make an impact immediately as opposed to down the line. In the short term, we will engage with more local authorities this year. Key to this is trying to get spending moving for this year.