Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

One of the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community was:

The audit [in recommendation No. 68] should include the mobile homes or caravans that are used as permanent dwellings. In the case of people/families wishing to remain living in caravans/mobile homes where they are deficient, they should be immediately replaced by new caravans/mobile through and expanded “loan scheme” or by direct supply by the relevant local authority. These should be funded out of the budget allocation for “traveller housing” and the quality of these caravans should be monitored in the short term by Cena to ensure they are of good quality. In the longer term this role should transfer to the National Traveller Accommodation Authority. The amount offered in the Caravan loan scheme should be monitored regularly to ensure that high-standard residential quality mobile homes can be afforded".

Deputy Ó Cuív made the point about what was said to the committee by the Minister of State. There was an expectation that after that pilot, which happened back in 2021, it would be reviewed in early 2022. We are still facing situations where Traveller families cannot access these more efficient mobile homes, which they need. This is how the State is treating the Travelling community. Travellers are only 1% of the population but they have the highest suicide rate, the highest number of people in homelessness and the lowest lifespan compared to the general population. We just keep treating them abysmally. There has to be some accountability about these recommendations, what has been promised to the Travelling community and what is not done. We have to set up a follow-on committee from the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, in order to have oversight of what we recommended. That needs to be put in place. I know the Ceann Comhairle has not been well but we need to get that back up and running again because incidents like this have to stop.

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