Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise this issue because I talked to somebody who had recently spoken to one of the surviving members of the Carrickmines tragedy. We all know the circumstances of what happened on 10 October last year when fire swept through the temporary site and ten lives were lost. The outpouring of grief and shock right across the State was palpable. In my opinion, I thought it would have been a turning point in how the State treats Travellers. Unfortunately, a few short days later we saw the prejudice again rearing its head when a proposal was made to provide a temporary site in Rockville Drive and there were objections from local residents.

We are now in a situation where the surviving members of Carrickmines are heading into a second winter on a temporary site that is virtually a car park with no facilities. I know that the local authority in question has gone through the planning application stage to provide a more permanent site. All the indications are that it will be open in July of next year at the earliest. We have not been given any firm commitments on whether July is the final date and, as far as I am aware, the tender has not even been awarded to a company yet for the construction of that site. Perhaps the Minister of State could correct me if I am wrong on that, but it is my understanding that the tender has gone out but has not been finalised yet.

Individuals were promised more permanent accommodation on the back of the tragedy. That is a matter of fact. They were promised by senior Cabinet Ministers that their housing needs would be met. They have been told in recent weeks that this is now not going to happen and they will have to wait until next July at the earliest for more permanent dwellings. That is wrong and disgraceful. Commitments were made by members of the Government. Whether they were acting on an individual basis or not, they were representing the Cabinet when they made those promises to the surviving members. Those promises need to be honoured.

I will not get into what the promises were because I do not want to air that publicly, but the Minister knows as well as I do, or she should if she was given the briefing before dealing with this Topical Issue today, that firm commitments were made to some of those families that their housing needs would be met. They have yet to be met. I urge the senior Minister in question, Deputy Simon Coveney, to meet with the families and to discuss their housing needs again. We cannot have a situation where they have to continue to wait for more permanent accommodation while living on a temporary site without even sanitation facilities. It is simply wrong.

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