Mr. Dermot Mahon:

We looked at the figures in our mid-term review of the Traveller accommodation programme. The number of Traveller families accessing HAP is reducing to a minimal number. The number of direct local authority allocations or AHB allocations is increasing. The reliance on the private market with regard to accommodation supports for Travellers is significantly reduced, as it is for the general population, but Travellers find it especially challenging to access private rental accommodation in the current market. That has subsequently led to an increase in the number of homeless Traveller families that are presenting. Many of them are young family formations that are not in a position to which we would allocate a standard local authority allocation at this point, given their time on the housing waiting list. It is a problem.

We are working with Galway County Council and the Department. I think there was a question earlier on about engagement with the Department. We will meet with the Department and Galway County Council tomorrow to address this issue. There have been a number of committee meetings because a number of the families wish to be housed in the Galway county area and we are looking at how we might be able to facilitate that. However, Deputy Ó Cuív is right in that a significant number of the families in homeless services in the city are Traveller families.