Mr. Dermot Mahon:

There are five schemes in planning, one of which, with the benefit of Part 8, will be on site in January. Two other schemes are with An Bord Pleanála. One of them has been with the board for a considerable period of time and the other one has been with it since April of this year. As soon as we get the green light for planning, we will be on site with those relatively quickly.

We have devised quite a unique proposal on Traveller-specific accommodation, which we call culturally specific Traveller accommodation, which is not a halting site or a group scheme but a combination of both. A scheme to redevelop the Circular Road halting site will commence in January which will be a good demonstrator model for other schemes throughout the city and the country with regard to a best-practice model for provision of Traveller-specific accommodation.

There are plans in place. Some of the timelines for planning can be quite frustrating but we have a plan. We have an active local Traveller accommodation consultative committee, LTACC, and active subcommittees, one of which met earlier today. We are actively engaged with the local Traveller movement with regard to providing a series of supports for Traveller families but the big challenge is the delivery of those Traveller-specific units in the coming years.