Mr. Patrick O'Sullivan:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for their invitation to address the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community. I appreciate the opportunity to update the committee on the delivery of accommodation for Travellers and the associated expenditure. Addressing Traveller accommodation is a priority for the Government and the Department. I welcome engagement with the committee on this issue. I am joined by my colleagues, Ms Karen Murphy, assistant principal officer, and Ms Samantha Kenny, assistant principal officer, both in the social inclusion unit which I head.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's policy in respect of accommodation for Travellers is underpinned by dedicated legislation. The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that housing authorities have a statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes in their areas. In line with the statutory framework, the Department must ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist local authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.

Each local authority prepares a Traveller accommodation programme, TAP, within which it sets targets for the provision of Traveller accommodation. The TAP sets out the plan for local authority investment priorities over a five-year period and informs the basis of delivery of all forms of Traveller accommodation. The Department issued guidelines to local authorities to assist the preparation of their new Traveller accommodation programmes. The new round of TAPs runs for the period 2025 to 2029. The Department is committed to supporting the local authorities in delivering on their TAPs ambitions.

The TAPs are now being implemented, with local authorities managing the delivery and allocation of all Traveller accommodation under these important five-year rolling programmes, which are designed to meet the existing and projected accommodation needs of Travellers in their areas. The Department will continue to facilitate, encourage and support the local authorities in the delivery of their TAPs.

In 2020, to facilitate ease of access to capital funding, the Department changed the way in which capital funding is allocated. The Department no longer allocates specific budgets to individual local authorities from the funding available overall. Instead, it is open to all local authorities to apply for and draw down funds at any time throughout the year. This is actively encouraged by the Department and has led to a significant improvement in the drawdown of funding and investment by local authorities. I am pleased to report that Traveller-specific accommodation funding has been fully drawn down by local authorities over the past five years, from 2020 to 2024, resulting in capital investment of over €100 million in Traveller-specific accommodation.

In addition to this capital spend, some €30 million was spent through current expenditure in the same period supporting local authorities in the management and maintenance of Traveller-specific accommodation, particularly halting sites. This combined significant multi-annual capital investment and current funding of over €130 million delivered high-quality Traveller-specific accommodation and supported local authorities in managing accommodation in the five-year period to the end 2024. This investment by the Department through the local authorities demonstrates strong commitment to Traveller accommodation. In budget 2025, increased capital of €23 million and current funding of €7 million was made available, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to delivering accommodation for Travellers.

The Traveller accommodation unit’s budget is provided for Traveller-specific accommodation, such as group housing schemes and halting sites. As such, funding available for and spent on accommodation solutions for Travellers is much broader than the often reported spend under the Traveller-specific accommodation budget.

A programme board, established in 2020, continues to oversee implementation of recommendations from the 2019 report of the expert group on Traveller accommodation. The programme board includes two Traveller representatives, two County and City Management Association representatives and two representatives from the Department. It is chaired by the independent chair of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Mr. Niall Crowley.

The programme board has already completed work on a number of the report's recommendations and updates are published on the Department's website. Examples of the work of the programme board completed to date include amendment of the social housing assessment regulations with effect from March 2022 to include a Traveller identifier. This is allowing for a more evidenced-based approach to the provision of Traveller accommodation, giving local authorities better data in planning their TAPs and setting targets. There are many work programmes under way through the programme board, addressing issues such as the design of Traveller-specific accommodation and improving data relating to accommodation provision.

Accommodation for Traveller households is provided through a range of housing options. The 2023 estimate of Traveller households shows that 79% of Travellers live in standard accommodation, including local authority and approved housing body, AHB, housing and housing assistance payment, HAP, and rental accommodation scheme, RAS, supported tenancies in the private rented sector. Funding for these housing supports is provided through the respective programme budget lines.

The accommodation of Travellers in standard housing has grown considerably since the publication of the 2019 Traveller accommodation expert review report. In 2019, there were 4,461 Traveller households in local authority and AHB social housing. This number grew to 5,904 Traveller households by 2023, representing a 32% increase.

The incidence of Traveller families in homeless emergency accommodation is recognised as a significant challenge. Together with local authorities, which have statutory responsibilities for the provision of homeless accommodation and in tackling homelessness, the Department continues to work to address this challenge in conjunction with the broader challenge of homelessness. The Minister has appointed a representative from a national Traveller organisation to the national homeless action committee.

The preferential and affordable caravan loan scheme for Traveller families was rolled out as a nationwide pilot scheme across all local authorities in 2022. The pilot scheme was continued until March last year. A total of 169 applications were approved across the pilot scheme. Following review of the pilot scheme, a national preferential caravan loan scheme was launched at the end of last year with an allocation of €4 million in funding available in 2025, with similar levels of funding anticipated in future years, subject to the annual Estimates process. The new scheme substantially increases the loan limits from €40,000 to a maximum of €80,000 in certain circumstances, for example, where additional space is required to improve mobility of a disabled person. This scheme continues to have a positive impact, enabling local authorities to offer preferential, discounted loans for the purchase of trailers as a primary residence, improving living conditions significantly for those on halting sites.

We will strive to continue the good progress being made because the provision of Traveller-specific accommodation is central to ensuring we continue to improve the lives of Travellers. Current progress demonstrates the drive and commitment which the Department, in conjunction with local authorities, continues to foster. This work relates to the provision of both social housing and Traveller-specific accommodation.

I welcome any questions the committee may wish to raise.