Mr. Martin Collins:

I will make just one final comment because I know we are up against the clock. I totally agree with Deputy Ó Cuív's point that nobody wants a drawn-out, long-winded review process. Therefore, it needs to be short, sharp and concise, involving just the Department, Traveller organisations and a number of local authorities. We believe it is really important because there are some genuine difficulties and deficiencies in the present scheme that need to be addressed.

The Department of housing produces an annual estimate every November of the number of Travellers in the country and their accommodation and living conditions. The annual estimate of November 2022 came out only two weeks ago. Let me give an example from it. It suggests 1,561 Traveller families are either sharing on the side of the road or doubling up. That is an increase of 23% on the 2020 figures. We have 1,561 Traveller families who are effectively homeless. This cohort is not eligible for the trailer loan scheme, and that is the problem. The conditions and criteria, which we fought very hard against but on which we did not succeed, mean the families are not eligible for the trailer loan scheme, or would not be eligible for the trailer rental scheme if it were in place, because they are living on unofficial sites or doubling up with a family member in the backyard, bay or whatever it might be. The Department argues it would be in breach of its own planning regulations if it recognised and gave a trailer to a family that lived with another family, either doubling up in a bay or on the side of the road. This is a big problem. We have 1,561 Traveller families who are not eligible for the scheme.