Mr. Bernard Joyce:

It is warming to hear the Deputy say that Travellers in his constituency come to him and deal with him and that he is on the ground and hears exactly what their issues are. In some ways, therefore, we do not have to restate them. He stated we have to act now and quickly. We have to do that right across the board in terms of the provision of accommodation and homes.

It must be done urgently. I have been involved in this area for 30 years. In all that time, I have been saying that the Traveller accommodation situation has been in crisis. Urgency has to be translated into action. If it is not, we are only talking to one another. Action is important.

The Deputy suggested some solutions. We will send to the committee the key recommendations that we made to the Department. What we are suggesting is not rocket science. The Deputy suggested applying a cap and costing it. The Department has done some costing work, but I would go further. For a family living in a caravan 365 days per year as opposed to for only a few weeks, the length of the caravan’s life will be very different. It needs to be kept in mind that that caravan will deteriorate more quickly whereas a caravan that is only used for summer holidays could last 20 years. This is why we are saying that the standards have to be high. We need to stop this nonsense of buying second-hand caravans. High-standard and high-quality manufactured homes should be bought from a supplier who can meet demand in Ireland. This is important. There should be no questions over the quality of what people are getting. That is the basis we should be working on. At the moment, though, we are working on a basis of what is available. Prices are also increasing. This approach needs to change. Doing so would lead to a quick turnaround. We have been highlighting this issue for a significant length of time. A caravan could last for 20 years, but it could be less depending on the family, costs, etc. I would just say-----