Ms Lorraine McMahon:

I am the co-ordinator of Ballyfermot Traveller action project and will make a presentation on behalf of the Traveller representatives on Dublin City Council Local Traveller Consultative Committee. Dublin City Council's assessment of need to inform the current Traveller Accommodation Programme 2009-2013 identified that there were 345 families resident in Traveller specific accommodation or on unofficial sites in the city council's area. Some 74 of those families expressed a wish for standard housing while the remainder of 271 families indicated a preference for Traveller specific housing, that is, group housing schemes or halting sites and bays, highlighting the high demand that continues within Dublin City Council for Traveller specific accommodation. In addition, there are 161 young adults over the age of 18 years within the 345 families. The plan estimated that an additional 52 units of accommodation would be required. In developing the plan it was agreed to increase the accommodation stock for Traveller families within Dublin city to 397 units of accommodation. At that time 266 units were available and, therefore, the deficit was 131 units of accommodation to be delivered through the current Traveller accommodation programme. The key targets in the programme to meet the identified need were a commitment to build 118 units across the city, to provide the other 13 accommodation units through casual vacancies, transfer to standard housing or single house purchases and a commitment for a significant number of refurbishments and upgrades in various sites.

Progress has been made by Dublin City Council on the current Traveller accommodation programme, particularly in the area of refurbishments and upgrades, including housing extensions, installation of windows and doors and upgrades to day units. Emergency facilities such as water and sanitation have been provided for some families. That was not a target in the Traveller accommodation programme but was provided mainly due to a lack of progress on the new builds. While progress was made, we have grave concerns particularly in regard to the lack of progress on new builds. While there was a commitment for a new build programme of 118 units, none of those units was built. This meant that Traveller families were, in effect, left homeless, resulting in significant overcrowding at various sites, and health and environmental issues. There continued to be a lack of basic facilities, such as water, sanitation and electricity, for many families thus forcing them to move into standard housing and private rented accommodation. We contend that being forced into standard housing and private rented accommodation contributes to the erosion of Traveller culture. Travellers do not choose to live in sites in these deplorable conditions which have a detrimental effect on their health. They choose Traveller specific accommodation as their right under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998.

From the perspective of Traveller organisations on the local Traveller accommodation consultative committee, we identify three key areas as contributing to the barriers to progress. We contend that a significant non-drawdown of funding or underspend of more than €12 million within Dublin City Council from 2007 to 2012 had an impact on the lack of progress in the delivery of new accommodation. We acknowledge that another barrier to progress was site management issues at various times. There have been some serious issues of anti-social behaviour in the past at various sites but that has not been pervasive across all sites during the life of the Traveller accommodation programme. However, the actions of a minority, which impacted on the majority of the communities, have had detrimental impacts on the community and blocked progress because the whole community has been penalised. The lack of linkages within the local authority between the local Traveller accommodation consultative committee, the housing strategic policy committee and other relevant structures has an impact on the lack of progress because if there is not a transparent system for monitoring accountability, how is progress managed and monitored?

To focus on one area, Labré Park in Ballyfermot was the first Traveller specific housing scheme built by Dublin Corporation, now Dublin City Council, and opened in 1967. Some of the families who moved into Labré Park in 1967 are still there. In some families there are four generations. A redevelopment project which has been promised for Labré Park completed all the planning procedures in 2006. A commitment in principle was given by the Department to progress pending a response to queries in 2008. We accept the plan did not progress due to serious anti-social behaviour during the period 2008 and 2009.

However, during this period Ballyfermot Traveller Action Project and other members of the Traveller inter-agency committee repeatedly called on Dublin City Council to convene a meeting to look at the escalating problem within Labré Park. However, our calls for a meeting were not heard until we went to see the city manager at the time, Mr. John Tierney, in the summer of 2009. He intervened and called a meeting of all the stakeholders and the situation in Labré Park began to turn around by the end of 2009. While there are issues on the site, as is the case on any estate across the city, these are all manageable and do not block progress to a redevelopment plan.

Today in Labré Park there are 39 families, some of whom have been living there since 1967. They comprise 95 adults and 66 children and young people under 18 years. Nineteen families live in houses, but 20 live in trailers while awaiting permanent accommodation. Some have been waiting for more than a decade. Three families have been waiting 15, 16 and 17 years, respectively. Some 43 adults and 53 children are living in trailers, of whom eight families, including 20 children of preschool and schoolgoing age, still have no access to basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity.

Under the current programme, there is a commitment to provide 22 units of accommodation at Labré Park. For the past two years we have been consistently led to believe no funding is available to advance this plan, but we now know that has not been the case. We hope to have our questions answered as to the reason it has not been the case for part of the time. The situation of families living without a water supply or sanitation cannot be allowed to continue. The non-provision of promised projects and accommodation must not be repeated. Travellers must be afforded their basic human right to access water and sanitation. They should be afforded their right to culturally appropriate accommodation, as per the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998.