Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for being with us here today. It is important to hear their views. I was absent for some of the previous committee meetings because we have been passing the Land Development Agency, LDA, Bill. There were votes at Report and Final Stages on that, which were completed last night. My question focuses on that because the Bill and the unlocking of the public land bank for the delivery of houses provides a very unique opportunity to ensure that Traveller-specific accommodation is included in all the developments the LDA will progress. Has there been any discussion between the Housing Finance Agency or approved housing bodies and the LDA, specifically on the issue of Traveller accommodation?

I think the Minister last night brought forward amendments to ensure that Traveller accommodation would be included in the provision of housing on these lands. That is really welcome but, like lots of things about the LDA, it now leaves legislation and gets into implementation. That is where I am worried the intention does not transfer into delivery. That is a general question. Has there been any discussion with the LDA or ambitions in order to deliver Traveller-specific accommodation through the public land banks that are opened up?

On a broader point, it is really interesting that the debate on the right to housing came before the housing committee. I think there was unanimous support for it. There is full support within the Fianna Fáil Party for a constitutional amendment on the right to housing. I think the Minister has support now as well with the housing commission. It is a matter of allowing the commission to come up with the wording of the amendment because we have to be very careful not to allow red herrings to defeat what is a very positive proposal. We have seen in other referendums that red herrings often can do that. Let us be honest, you could have people with very racist intentions towards Travellers using the idea of illegal Traveller encampments as a way to fight a horrible battle in a referendum to try to defeat the right to housing. We have to be very careful in bringing forward the proposal that we ensure that those red herrings are eliminated, that racists do not get the opportunity to discuss their views in public and that the right to housing is incorporated into the Constitution. That is a broader point on the right to housing. We still have a long way to go to have a civic society campaign on that, and I think we can all work together on it. My question is about the LDA and Traveller-specific accommodation.