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

It is disappointing when objections are led by politicians and public representatives, regardless of what their background is or where they are from. It is a shame when there are objections to social housing, including Traveller-specific social housing projects. In my view, this should not happen. The objections of residents, regardless of whether they relate to an environmental issue or to social housing, are generally based on a perception of what might happen or a fear of a planning outcome. We have a duty to deal with the perception that exists with regard to Traveller-specific accommodation. I contend that the quality of initial design, of construction and of the management of these facilities is a key factor in this regard. We need to get buy-in from communities and bring them on board with us. There should not be any objections. There is no need for them. We need to deal in a positive way with the perception that has built up. This might involve bringing on board local authority members whose views might differ from mine and those of the Senator. If we can improve what we build in the first place and how we manage it, we will see that appropriate accommodation, which is built properly and includes all the services that are needed, is a key factor.