Rebecca Moynihan (Labour)
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I will spend most of my time letting the Minister of State answer questions. What we have seen in the past while has been a number of people making speeches about their experiences and those experiences being applied to a whole community. In response to Deputy Crowe's remarks on trespassing and transient sites, if we provided transient sites, there would not be a need for people to trespass on unofficial halting sites. That is the key issue. It is also a recommendation. When one calls it an overreach, it is up to the Department as to whether it will accept that recommendation. The Minister of State addressed that point adequately. I also pay tribute to the approach of one of the Deputy's Fianna Fáil colleagues, Deputy Ó Cuív, for his open-minded, human rights-based and passionate approach to the issue of Traveller accommodation. A conversation with Deputy Ó Cuív could enlighten some people on this committee.

One of the recommendations was that there should be an independent national Traveller authority. What is the status of that and are there any plans to get it up and operational? The LDA is taking on a significant role in housing delivery and State sites, outside of local authority sites. Some of us in opposition in the Seanad, tried, by means of amendments, to include Traveller accommodation in the remit of the LDA. What responsibility will the LDA have in this area? Will any targets be given to it in respect of the inclusion of Traveller accommodation in some of the sites they have? I am disappointed that Traveller accommodation was not addressed in the national development plan, which was released to much fanfare. I say that knowing the Minister of State is committed, open-minded and progressive regarding this matter. This is not a criticism of the Minister of State, but it is a pity the national development plan had no reference to it at all.