Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Muldoon and Ms Ward for the report and the recommendations but the situation described in the report mirrors that on many sites in my area that have experienced very similar things. There is St. Joseph's, which is a halting site that has been there for more than 20 years. Half the site is in use but the other half is decommissioned. The same is happening in St. Mary's. We lost St. Mary's and St. Christopher's and they have not been replaced in terms of accommodation. As regards St. Margaret's, I do not know how many people I met regarding plans to expand that site in Ballymun but it still has not happened. That has been going on for well over five years. That is how seriously accommodation is taken by the local authorities. On the Ratoath Road, the Gavin family is living with no water. There are 14 men, women and children with no water in a Covid situation. In fairness, they are being supplied with water by Fingal County Council, the local authority. However, it is just unacceptable. They had water but it was disconnected and they have not been linked up subsequently. It is an absolute scandal. That is what I have experienced in my area.

What penalties have the local authorities suffered in consequence for this? We certainly need an overview of all of it. There should be a group to oversee it, such as a national Traveller group, which would include our guests and many others. That needs to be put in place because if the problem is so widespread in my area, I hate to think what it is like in other areas. The report is so damning that one could probably identify many places where there are similar problems.

Many Traveller children in Finglas and Ballymun are in DEIS schools. Education and getting people up to a high standard are so important.

The number of people from the local Traveller community who are coming to me seeking housing is very worrying. Many of them are now being forced into getting HAP or going into local authority housing. We are talking about Travellers being nomads and having their own culture, yet this is happening on a big scale. The community is breaking down in many ways. We should not allow that to happen. If people want to stay in their community, we have to try to keep them in that community. In the context of the mental health of these children and other members of the Traveller community in general, it is very important that we keep them within their own communities and we provide accommodation.

I have seen so many reports through the years and dealt with so many different issues. It is actions that are really needed. We need to push local authorities and change the mindset of many in local authorities, as well as local people and politicians, who are blocking progress, which is unacceptable. I do no know what the ombudsman can do in terms of pushing this issue. How does one push it? Does one have to get onto a committee, as suggested, to oversee this issue? Do we have to start identifying problems place by place or county by county? Do we look at each place and figure out the way in which local authorities are dealing with the Traveller community in general? Is that the best way to do it? These issues are so widespread that I think we have a big job ahead of us.