Ms Caroline Timmons:

I will address those briefly and then hand over to Ms Farrelly.

I accept Deputy Ó Cuív’s point about not being short of plans but needing more implementation. I will not argue with him on that. The implementation of plans is where we are at now. We have had the Traveller accommodation programmes, TAPs, and the interim review of same and we will have new TAPs next year. They are important for local authorities in understanding the size of the issue they are dealing with. The continued implementation and progressing of TAPs is where we would like to be. Mr. Crowley’s point to me about strengthening the LTACCs is key to driving that forward. A plan is only as good as the people who are trying to make it work.

The Deputy asked about the caravan loan scheme. I will tell the committee a little more about it. The Deputy asked about the 77 loans in 2022, which amounted to €2.66 million. The majority of those were drawn down, so there does not seem to have been an issue.