Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank the contributors for their opening remarks. I am taken by Dr. McDonagh's comments because lived experience has to be high on the agenda when we are trying to tackle these issues. Generally, the feeling in the community is that it is time for action. All the talking has been done and we need action.

Mr. McCann stated the Traveller legal service had received more than 90 inquiries from the Travelling community. Were they received in a certain timespan, whether one year or ten years? There seems to be a small number of people coming forward on such crucial issues.

Mr. McCann also made a point about the expert group established by the Minister of State, Deputy English, and a few of the issues the group raised. From the point of view of FLAC, will Mr. McCann highlight one or two key recommendations this committee could take up that might make an impact in cutting across the lack of action by local authorities in relation to Traveller-specific accommodation? We have had much legislation and many reports and we have heard a lot of comments on human rights, yet as Dr. McDonagh, who made a submission to the task force in 1999, said, we are still where we were in 1999.