Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Brien for raising this crucial matter and I welcome the opportunity to address the Deputy on it.

Arising from the tragic circumstances at Carrickmines in October 2015 and the loss of so many families and loved ones, a number of actions were implemented in the aftermath of the tragedy, along with ongoing engagement over the past 12 months with the bereaved and those affected by the events at Carrickmines on that night. A steering group, hosted by Southside Traveller Action Group, STAG, was established on 12 October 2015 to manage and oversee the local response to the immediate needs of the families involved. My Department, the Department of Social Protection, the HSE, An Garda Síochána and other agencies are participants in the steering group and are supporting the delivery of actions which have ensured that vital supports such as pastoral care, counselling services and other supports such as exceptional needs payments are provided to the families, as a priority, to meet their immediate needs after the tragic events. The steering group is now assisting with the physical and emotional recovery of those involved which includes the provision of health care and supports for survivors, along with responding to community welfare needs and the clean-up of the damaged site as well as the restoration of infrastructure and public services.

In relation to the accommodation needs, my Department worked with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to identify suitable temporary accommodation for the family concerned in the immediate aftermath of the Carrickmines tragedy. Temporary emergency accommodation has been in place for the family in Ballyogan, Carrickmines, since October 2015. The accommodation provided includes five three-bedroom mobile homes with shower and bathroom facilities, together with a separate utility area for each unit.

A site at Glendruid, Shankill, in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown was identified by the local authority in its Traveller accommodation programme for 2014 to 2018 for a group housing scheme to meet the needs of the Connors family. Funding approval was granted by my Department for these works and the refurbishment of the site was completed at the end of 2015. The family, however, indicated that this was not their preferred location. Subsequently, the site was allocated to other Traveller families who requested Traveller-specific accommodation. Following discussions with the family regarding their preferred options, the council proposes to develop a permanent four-bay halting site at Glenamuck Road, Carrickmines, which is in accordance with the local authority’s Traveller accommodation programme. The planning process was completed in July of this year and, following a submission from the council, my Department issued approval to the council to proceed to tender in September. The council anticipates that the accommodation will be ready for occupation by the family in summer 2017.

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