Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. One of the startling figures from the report published last year, a report commissioned by the Department and the Housing Agency, was that, as the Traveller accommodation programmes progressed from 2000 to 2018, the incidence in meeting their targets fell. From 2000 to 2004, they hit about 90% of their targets. In the period from 2014 to 2018, that figure had dropped to 39%. The Minister of State is correct to say funding has been increased for Traveller accommodation programmes, albeit far too modestly. However, the tragedy is that none of the additional funding has been spent by the local authorities. Last year was the worst year on record in terms of drawdown. There was a 45% underspend, which essentially means that all of the additional funds allocated since the Government was formed remain unspent. The problem is very clear. Local councillors and county managers are, in many cases, refusing to provide land or make provision for Part 8 developments. They are refusing to draw down the money. The announcement of the group needs to be made as a matter of urgency. The Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government wants to play its part. We want to support the Minister of State and the expert group. However, we will need to see radical changes to ensure the money which the Minister of State is increasing, albeit again modestly, will be drawn down to ensure the systemic discrimination against Travellers in the housing system, as made clear earlier this year by the Irish Council for Social Housing, is brought to an end.

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