Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

Most Deputies met today with families who have children suffering from muscular dystrophy. We listened to details of hard, sad cases. Cystic fibrosis services and gangland crime in Limerick are two other topical issues. All the issues one might choose are probably more dramatic and will have more serious consequences than the issue I raise tonight, namely, the provision of mobile homes on halting sites in County Cork. This an ongoing problem about which I feel strongly, although I do not doubt that all Deputies feel strongly about it.

I will only discuss halting sites in County Cork because they are the only sites I know, although I have seen others elsewhere. If we saw similar conditions in South Africa or any other developing country, we would be appalled, put our hands in our pockets and send out groups of workmen to put the problem right. A child could drown in some of the holes on these sites when they are filled with rain water. Little effort is being made to collect rubbish and the Travellers are living in the most appalling conditions. The bays have what one might describe as a little shed with a stainless steel bath. As we all know, if one puts hot water in a such a bath, one will burn oneself when one touches the metal, yet the residents of these sites are expected to wash their children in them. The toilets which are 20 years old are also made of stainless steel. Hot water is not available, roofs leak, the electricity supply is faulty and the only positive feature for some residents is that they have a decent mobile home.

Second-hand mobile homes can be draughty, wet, infested with rats and have holes in the floor. The newer mobile homes had showers and a bathroom but Cork City Council removed them to provide a third bedroom. This additional room which families are expected to use as a child's bedroom is not wider than the chairs in the House. One could not possibly make a bedroom of such a small space. Conditions on these sites are appalling and we should be ashamed that we allow them — Ireland's townships — to remain.

I know the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, is a decent and honourable man. It is, however, deeply offensive that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, who has responsibility for this issue is not present for this debate. I do not normally ask that the senior Minister be present in the House for an Adjournment debate. Tonight, however, is an exception.

Cork City Council had a policy of replacing mobile homes when their condition deteriorated to the point that the problem was deemed to be an emergency. A supplier would provide a second-hand mobile home which was usually not in great condition and this would provide relief for a family for another winter. This year, however, the Department issued a diktat in February that it would no longer provide Cork City Council with resources to fund the replacement of mobile homes, the main reason being that the council had recouped more than any other local authority in recent years. If we expect people to live in appalling conditions, the least we can do is be on top of our game and replace mobile homes when necessary.

The Department cited a number of reasons it would no longer fund replacement mobile homes, including the mobility of caravans and the question of ownership should Travellers decide to leave the site. The Minister of State should try to imagine attempting to tow these caravans a distance of 20 feet. One would not reach the gate of the site before it would fall apart. The Department also cited the difficulty in ensuring caravans were constructed to a high standard from a health and safety viewpoint and the fear that accidents or mishaps could become the liability of local departments. In other words, it refuses to provide a mobile home in reasonably good condition because it fears the residents will claim from the Department. Instead, it will allow Travellers to live in draughty, rat-infested mobile homes that are about to fall apart. It also cited the short lifespan of caravans in use all year round and the likely need for frequent replacements. The lunacy of this thinking is beyond me. The Department is not providing standard accommodation and will not replace mobile homes which it recognises are faulty and dangerous from a health and safety point of view.

The life expectancy of Travellers and the diseases from which Traveller children suffer should be examined. These problems can all be traced to poverty and poor housing. It is appalling that the Department, under the Green Party Minister, Deputy Gormley — the Mother Theresa who would save us all — has stopped funding the provision of mobile homes for Travellers in County Cork.

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