Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

On the conditions people live in, I cited an example earlier. I know it is an historical case but it is from 2018, so not that long ago. It is within the last couple of years. Reference was made to a persistent problem with rodent infestation; inadequate sanitation; extreme overcrowding; safety concerns about access to the site; illegal dumping; inadequate heating systems; unsafe electrical works; a high rate of childhood illness caused by living conditions; and no amenities or safe play areas for children. These extraordinary living conditions were found in Ireland in 2018. I know they are being addressed by the relevant local authority.

What really concerns me, to take this example again, is the failure by the local authority in the case to consider the best interests of the children, including those with additional needs; a failure to clear passageways for children if they wanted to travel to school; failures in terms of record-keeping, transparency and accountability; housing allocations that were incomplete or not processed, meaning families may have missed out on getting a home or moving up the list; carelessness in administration practices that resulted in overcrowding and serious risks on the site for children; and failure to comply with and implement the minimum requirements for the TAP, which places a statutory duty on local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers.

The report identified numerous failings within the local authority in how it deals with Traveller accommodation. It recommended that the oversight of the report's recommendations be held at the CEO level and that there be ring-fenced budgets within that. Do other local authorities have similar issues? One of the other things that struck me from that report was the reference to "prolonged paralysis" in the system within the local authority. Are there concerns about some of the issues identified by the Ombudsman for Children in terms of the administration in other local authorities?