Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to make clear to Mr. Cummins that it is not and never has been my position that local authorities or local authority management are solely to blame for the scandal of Traveller accommodation. In fact, political parties, particularly the larger ones, my own included, have contributed to this problem, as have wider society and central government. We all have to accept a share of the responsibility. My frustration arises in the context of the really good roadmap we have. I know the CCMA will implement the law and always does so, but it is a very important and influential organisation and plays a role in the shaping of the law. I could be wrong, but my view is that there is less willingness to implement the elements of the recommendations of the expert group on Traveller accommodation that require legislative change in sections of the Department and in the local government sector. The only way we will cease having the same conversation over and over again is if we implement all 23 recommendations as a matter of urgency. We are two and a half years into it but most of the recommendations have not been implemented. I am urging Mr. Cummins to do what many members of this committee have done, which is to become convinced that the 32 recommendations are the best possible route and need to be implemented as soon as possible.

I suspect that if there was the same rigorous assessment of the Traveller accommodation programmes for 2020, 2019 and 2018 as there was under Michelle Norris for 2017 and before that, we would see an even higher level of non-compliance. For example, in my general election constituency, which makes up half of the local county council area, almost none of our Traveller accommodation plan has been progressed in the past two years. That is not because of a lack of good officials, councillors or people in Traveller advocacy groups, but we are two years into the plan and I cannot think of a single new Traveller-specific accommodation unit that has been provided in an area in which there is really high demand. That tells me that the old system is broken and that until we fully implement those recommendations, we will get no further. If Mr. Cummins has any information to suggest that my contention in respect of the non-implementation of the plans is wrong, I ask him to please share that with the committee, either today or at a later stage. I appreciate that he does not collate all of that information. For me, the takeaway concern today is that Mr. Joyce has told us he is not convinced that the 18 recommendations of the report of the committee that the Minister has indicated are on track to be implemented will be implemented, and they do not contain some of the most important recommendations, which are those listed.

This is not a party political issue; it is an issue on which we have to work together. Unless we start seeing significant changes, legislatively and locally, things will not improve in spite of the fact that everyone who has spoken here today has said they genuinely want them to improve. That is a parting comment rather than a question. If Mr. Cummins has further information, I ask him to please share it.