Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair very much and the witnesses for coming in. I have read through some of the reports, in particular in respect of Galway where I am based. There has been a clear failure in Galway, which I have called out over a number of years, to not even have the consultative forum sitting. Sometimes we are over-generous in saying that there is a failure of process. All of the groups said that this is predominantly an issue of racism, pure and simple.

Even if one is to look at something like the social housing list in Galway, of the 588 Traveller families, 250 of those are on the social housing waiting list. I am not going to say that Galway City Council is racist in putting social housing in place. That is a process issue. It is clear, however, that in making those applications, it is local people who are demonstrating a "not in my backyard" approach.

Ms Lucey touched on the gender pay gap legislation, which we recently passed and which now gives specific powers to FLAC. I, as a solicitor, have volunteered for that organisation. It is very difficult for individuals to go through the big rigmarole of having their rights vindicated. That is difficult for all of us but it is particularly difficult for those who are disadvantaged and are experiencing institutional racism and a set-up within local authorities where it is stated that it is not racism but is process where we are waiting for housing. How does one decode that to say which is racism and which is not because it is fundamentally down to the experience of the individual? Do our witnesses believe that there is room for more legislation that would give FLAC and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, an ability to take cases on this issue?

From the point of view of housing, we are now expanding the amount of housing that we can have under Part V so that it will be stepped up to 20%, comprising 10% social housing and 10% affordable or cost-rental housing. A big legacy from this Government is to step up from that. Is there an opportunity there under Part V or under something else where one could have ring-fenced funding around those who are experiencing that level of racism where it is difficult to get the housing over the line. I note the way that the legislation is devised at the moment where it is councillors who adopt these programmes for Traveller accommodation and yet it is also councillors who can object to specific housing plans. Locals can object to other types of housing. I am not saying that everybody is objecting out of hand but we all know and recognise that there is a racism issue there and we have to find structural ways around that.

These are some ideas that I have and I wonder what the thoughts of our witnesses are in order for us to put the structures in place to stop the racism from taking over and preventing the Government from moving forward with this.