Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for coming in today. I apologise for the time change but other matters were going on. Unfortunately, though, that time change has torpedoed all our schedules. I have great admiration for the work Pavee Point does. It can sometimes feel like two steps forward are being made, only to end up then taking five steps backward. I state that because housing obviously is a major problem. Proper and appropriate accommodation for members of the Traveller community is an enormous problem. It is a situation that clearly leads to mental health challenges and especially during the pandemic we have experienced in the last 18 months.

My next point may be somewhat off topic but it is relevant. Turning to the local authorities and their role in this matter, could the witnesses give me an example of best practice that they are aware of in this regard? I refer to a local authority and its engagement in respect of Traveller accommodation. I also ask them to give an example of worst practice by a local authority. I ask that because I always find it astonishing that central government allocates millions of euro to local authorities to upgrade and provide accommodation for the Traveller community, while year after year only a small proportion of that money is ever drawn down and spent. The Government, therefore, can make policy and allocate funding provision in the budget for Traveller accommodation but the local authorities are just not spending those funds. I would like the witnesses' views on those aspects. If they may not be in a position to answer now, perhaps someone in Pavee Point might respond on that point.

My other question concerns the oversight function referred to in the fourth recommendation. Can the witnesses point to somewhere in Europe that we could learn from and emulate best practice in respect of such oversight? Those are two of the thoughts that occurred to me during the comprehensive presentations of our guests.