Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 22 February 2024
Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community
Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Tony Smithers:
That is no problem. The Traveller Mediation Service is fantastic, and Mr. Chris McDonagh has been fantastic in his approach. The service is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Justice. We also engage with the families and mediation services and hold meetings with the families. We met with Mr. McDonagh and, most importantly, with advocacy groups. The key stakeholder involved was the service company. In the beginning, it was a slow burner but it has gathered pace and we are starting to make inroads, build that trust and that relationship with families and groups and work towards the end goal, in particular providing new Traveller-specific accommodation on sites and maintaining what we have.