Ms Mary Heavey:

I can first respond to the questions the Deputy raised on the public sector duty training and the adequate housing, and then I can talk about the trailer loan scheme. The cultural awareness training that we did with the Traveller Equality and Justice Project was fantastic. Our legal team participated in it. It really informs my work on a day-to-day basis. The training was delivered by Travellers and through the Traveller Equality and Justice Project, we would be advocating for that type of training to be provided across all local authorities. It should be included in the same way that other diversity and inclusion training is provided in the workplace. We would be big advocates for cultural awareness training.

The Deputy's second question was about a referendum on adequate housing. We chose the term "adequate housing" because that has already been defined by the UN. The UN has said that a number of conditions need to be met in order for housing to be deemed adequate and that includes that the housing must be affordable, accessible, habitable and culturally appropriate. We chose that specific wording deliberately. What a constitutional right to housing would actually require the State to do would ultimately depend on the wording put forward. As we noted in our submission, we are still waiting for the housing commission to publish its report on those recommended wordings.

Given how constitutional rights work or the way in which we are advocating for them, it would be a socioeconomic right which means that it would be limited by the State's resources in how it would go about fulfilling that. A right to housing could provide a constitutional basis and a constitutional responsibility for the State in adopting progressive housing policies to ensure that the right of people to adequate housing is met. It would not necessarily require the State to go out and build everyone homes; that is not what a right to adequate housing is about. It would potentially require the State to take the necessary measures, be it through legislative reform or policy reform, to ensure that the right to adequate housing for individuals is met.

I will make a couple of comments about the trailer loan scheme from our experience in our legal advice clinics. Very few of the clients who come into our clinics are actually aware of the existence of the trailer loan scheme. I believe that has been caused by its sporadic and inconsistent application across local authorities. Just yesterday, I had a quick look online to see what information the local authorities were advertising about the trailer loan scheme they were offering. I could hardly find any information. The first barrier is that many of the clients who come into us do not even know that scheme exists.

Regarding CLM's role in any mediation, we provide free legal advice, advocacy and representation to people. If there is a legal issue in play, we would be able to provide that legal assistance and support. My colleagues may have something else to add.