Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Mr. O'Sullivan claimed earlier that there has been a full drawdown of funds for the past five years. However, between 2008 and 2018, local authorities only drew down €110.6 million of the €168.8 million allocated. What has changed since then, and what has been put in place to stop this pattern from returning?

The 1995 task force identified a need for 1,000 transient bays, yet only 54 exist today. After 30 years, how does Mr. O'Sullivan justify this failure to meet basic nomadism accommodation needs? What timelines are there to address the need for 1,000 transient bays to move on from the 54 that exist today?

Representatives from the CCMA will later state that, after 27 years, local authorities need a definition of "culturally appropriate accommodation". Under provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, the Department has failed to provide the basic clarity. Is it hoped to publish clarification on what is meant by Traveller-specific accommodation? What is the timeline for that?

My fourth question is, in 2019, the expert group, working with the previous Traveller committee, made specific recommendations regarding planning delays and Part 8 processes. Six years' later, which of these recommendations have been fully implemented?

Finally, Travellers represent 6% of the homeless population, despite comprising less than 1% of the general population. A total of 549 Travellers were in emergency accommodation in 2024. What is the Department's strategy to address the homeless crisis in the Traveller community? I have some more questions on how the budget for Travellers in the period from 2020 to 2024 was used by the Department for Covid measures. Questions of Traveller accommodation are not around dumping or Covid measures. Maybe I can come back in with these questions.