Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will take all the findings from the evaluation process into consideration to ensure, to the Deputy's point, that the scheme is fit for purpose. The figure of €40,000 was based on when the scheme was being put in place and being piloted. It has been successful in many ways but, to take the Deputy's point, cost considerations need to be factored into the new scheme and setting the appropriate loan value is central to what he said. We will engage with the NTACC and committee members when we have evaluated the report and discussed the recommendations with the Department of public expenditure to try to find an appropriate, correct value reflecting the cost to purchase new trailers or mobile homes. That will all feed into the Estimates process and the Exchequer funding that will be allocated to this programme. That is important. It should not be a barrier to seek new suitable, or Traveller-specific, accommodation. We want to have flexibility within the programme.

We have moved over recent years to reduce the deposit. We have extended the pilot scheme over a number of years and brought more people into it, and we have seen the benefits throughout the country for a lot of families. A total of 629 people, including more than 300 children, have been supported through the pilot scheme, which is significant, and we want to continue to play our part in supporting local authorities, through the Department, to deliver this programme in all local authorities. Nineteen local authorities signed up to the pilot but we want to go further. The scheme has been welcomed by this committee but all the issues and challenges that have been faced need to feed back into that report in order that we can take those recommendations and move forward.