Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 30 November 2023

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community

Traveller Accommodation

Photo of Joe O'ReillyJoe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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It was part of the response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, and a crisis it was, but that is not the brief of the committee. Of course, this crisis impinges on every other need. Modular homes were a big part of the response to this. If they were good enough to respond to that crisis, why not respond to this crisis with modular homes?

A number of the questions asked by Deputy Stanton regarding reviews, access and the monitoring process from the Department's perspective have been answered. I take these as they are. It will be important that we get to see the new rolling programme and how it is proposed that it be activated. We have oriented the committee in a wonderful way since it came into existence. We have taken general arguments, and the philosophical and sociological arguments, as given and we have started to hone in on what is actually happening. This is a great development and it is how it should be. I take the questions as having been asked.

The big alarming news of the week was the programme "Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost". I did not see the programme but I heard reports, including on the excellent performance of our Cathaoirleach. The awful figures to come out of the programme were those relating to suicide, particularly of young males,. The programme showed how suicide impacts on almost every family. The figures are horrific, and it is right that the issue is linked to those of housing and education. This is a link that the witnesses need to keep making. On the other hand, our job is to in some way ensure that the response to it is not only aspirational. I ask the witnesses to comment on that.