Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)

I have raised this issue a number of times. Rathkeale is the second largest town in County Limerick and has deep-rooted, chronic systemic problems associated with property ownership which are exacerbated by the fact the vast majority of property is owned by members of the Traveller community who reside in the State intermittently and do not exercise responsibility in terms of property ownership. Dereliction, abandonment and unauthorised developments are the order of the day.

The local community council has been very proactive in trying to deal with these issues. It has come to a stage where the non-Traveller community in Rathkeale feels completely under siege because any piece of property which comes for sale in Rathkeale is immediately snapped up by a member of the Traveller community at a price which is out of the reach of the majority of the non-Traveller community. Rathkeale has been dropped off many maps. For example, tourism promotion maps of the mid-west are dropping Rathkeale. I could speak for the night in regard to the issues.

I ask the Minister and the Minister of State, as I asked Deputy Penrose when it was his job, could they take the time to meet the Rathkeale community council and try to develop some kind of a plan to help them to address the issues. For example, a property audit needs to be carried out in Rathkeale, at a minimum, and there are many other issues associated with the RAPID project. Will the Minister give a commitment to meet this group at some time in the near future?

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