Mr. Brian Dillon:

Following on from what Ms Casey has said, there are two or three important points I wish to make regarding why it is a different approach that we are talking about. We have also circulated a statement that addresses where Cena is coming from. Ms Casey referred to Traveller solutions and Traveller-led solutions. We place a significant emphasis on self-determination. That kind of self-determination means we have Travellers working with us who are trained in working with their own people to identify their own solutions. In many cases, the absolute tragedy in terms of Traveller accommodation that Mr. Collins eloquently outlined is the result of settled people believing they know what Travellers need or want or what that identity is. At Cena, we work in the opposite way. Everything we have done has been designed by Travellers. Every tenancy we establish with Travellers is managed by Travellers who are trained in that management. We are very different from any other approved housing body. That is an important point to get across to the committee.

We are dealing with a legacy of failure, neglect and crisis. That goes without saying. More important, it could be as the starting point in addressing the accommodation crisis and what the Traveller community is facing but we in Cena have to see it as a platform. Every day, we deal with the fallout of that failure of accommodation, which has effects on areas that go from mental health to access to opportunities for progression.

Cena is working with young Travellers to bring forward opportunities in construction. It is about Travellers identifying their own needs, building their own solutions, becoming involved and owning those solutions. Much of what Cena does is cross-community. We face discrimination every day of the week in buying properties and building houses. We daily face the problems Mr. Collins identified with regard to people objecting to what we are doing. We will continue to build good practice and show people it is not necessary to segregate in order to recognise difference. We have no barriers or high walls. There is no hiding of a culture. In fact, we are there to promote and demonstrate the value of that culture and to place the destiny of people's accommodation in their own hands. That is what Cena is. I know Ms Casey wishes to make a few points regarding the policy issues we believe are important.