Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry if I rudely interrupted the Minister of State. The expression "sun, moon and stars" is relative and, in this case, it could mean the supply of water or electricity or a simple home. Obviously, I do not say there is a demand for, or a request for, lavish expense on Travellers similar to that which is often lavishly expended on other sectors of society but, like everybody else, Travellers deserve to have their human rights fulfilled. Despite the obfuscation in the Minister of State's reply on the part of Louth County Council regarding the number of families and whether they are living on the roadside, families are being deprived of a decent place to live and plans were presented to the families following their eviction. As chairperson of the Dublin City Council LTACC, I attended a special meeting with departmental officials and we were told that when the fire service took part in the audit of all the halting sites around the country, no evictions would ensue without alternative accommodation being provided. However, this is not what happened in Dundalk and, all this time later, families are still waiting for the site to be refurbished.

I resent the way the Minister of State said, as if it were in brackets, "as scheduled". That is not what the original schedule said. It said that it would be ready by October, not that it would begin in October. Now we have to put these families on the side of the road through the winter without the building being completed as was promised. I repeat the request from Rebecca Quinn. She wants to meet the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney. I understand the difficulty as I am also a busy woman and find it difficult to arrange an appointment to meet somebody, although I am not nearly as important as he is. I am probably more important than he is in some ways. He has a duty to meet that woman. Since the last meeting they have been let down left, right and centre. She represents Dundalk Travellers and has repeatedly requested a meeting with the Minister, so I ask him to spare the time to meet her rather than fob her off to representatives of his Department.

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