Results 3,741-3,760 of 8,016 for speaker:Peter Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Crowe for his observations, and Deputy Ó Cuív, who is very committed to this area. We have made significant progress in the past year. One can look at the doubling of the maintenance allowance; an increase in the caretaker refund through the local authority network right up to 75%; Cena, the local authority AHB can now draw down 100% of funding from the capital...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: If the Deputy will allow me, I will do my best to answer . There was one area I wish to respond to for Deputy Ó Cuív on who is responsible for the local authority network. Let us be clear and honest because the members are the guardians of the local authorities up and down the country. On Deputy’s Crowe’s comments, it can be seen in my opening statement that I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I do not want to overreach as to what the programme board are doing so I will leave it to them to come back to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank and acknowledge the work done by Deputy Flaherty in County Longford on this issue. Like me, he is very familiar with this issue. As I said at the beginning, we are trying to get completely accurate data so that we can understand the demand and where it lies in respect of the requirements of the Traveller community. That will give us a better understanding in how to respond to this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Vice Chairman and also thank Deputy O’Donoghue for his comments on the issues in his own particular constituency. I do not want to overemphasise the work we have done because I fully understand that there are still vulnerable families living in substandard conditions right across this State, which is something none of us want to see. We have a mountain to climb, which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: With regard to the one, overarching agency, the programme board has decided to progress with 18 of the 32 recommendations in the first instance. These are getting acute priority. That is approximately 56% of the recommendations from the expert group. It has taken those on board, in its wisdom. The Traveller community wanted additional representation on the board to ensure equality and a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I wish members a good morning and thank them for the opportunity to address the joint committees on the matter of the Traveller expert group report and review of Traveller accommodation. I am joined by two officials from my Department, Mr. Paul Benson, principal officer, and Ms Ann Gill, assistant principal officer. The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for her questions. Regarding the expert report, and the 32 recommendations contained within it, one of the biggest challenges that I and the Department have faced is the absence of clear and salient data on the number of Traveller families in our country and the types of housing accommodation they require to meet their needs. That is why, through our expert...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. I contend that the energy is there in this regard. I argued in my opening statement that the required actions are being taken. I was appointed to this role in July and I was given responsibility in November for the area of Traveller accommodation. Subsequent to my appointment, I established a programme board to drive the reforms set out in the 32...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senator very much. We are committed to implementing each of the recommendations and the NTACC is responding to me on each of the them. I attend every second meeting of the committee, which is driving the reforms. It has held about five meetings already this year. Its independent chair has a strong track record in this area. We met representatives of the Ombudsman for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: The Senator can look at the trajectory of increasing funds in budgets in recent years. In budget 2022, we have a capital budget of approximately €18 million, whereas in 2020 we had €14.5 million. That is borne out by the commitment from me and from the Government as a whole to responding to the challenges in this area, and we are committed to doing that. The Office of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senator for his contribution, which I appreciate is a very genuine one, on the challenges we face in this area. The programme board was established towards the end of March, so we are talking about a six-month period. I have told the board I would like to see timelines in respect of each of the actions it has taken off for their first round of implementation, which is about 56%...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I welcome absolutely what the Senator says. As stated earlier, I would welcome the improvement of data in order that the committee and its members can critically evaluate my work. That is very important. We need to be in possession of improved data. As for Senator O'Reilly's engagement with the Traveller groups and members of the Traveller community, nothing I have seen has shocked me...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Collins for her questions and acknowledge the work that she is doing on the ground with the Traveller community. On Labre Park, we engaged directly with the community as did the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. One of the first things I did when I got responsibility for Traveller accommodation in November was write to Senator Eileen Flynn to try to forge relationships and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: One of my frustrations has been the lack of data. That is why one recommendation in the report was to have a specific Traveller identifier contained within social housing application forms. That would give us a better handle on what the requirements are from the Traveller community. A number of reports carried out, one of which was independently evaluated in County Mayo, suggest that not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Gould for his kind and good wishes at the outset. I will be clear; I wish to be honest and open with the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee in that I do not have all the answers to this complex issue, but I assure them that I will do my best. I appreciate the guidance from the committee and feedback on the structures I have established. When I took on the role in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: To make it clear, the Government, through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has stated that funding is not an obstacle on this matter. I assure Deputy Gould about that if he is going to speak to his constituents. Funding is not an obstacle.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Crowe for his observations, and Deputy Ó Cuív, who is very committed to this area. We have made significant progress in the past year. One can look at the doubling of the maintenance allowance; an increase in the caretaker refund through the local authority network right up to 75%; Cena, the local authority AHB can now draw down 100% of funding from the capital...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (12 Oct 2021)

Peter Burke: If the Deputy will allow me, I will do my best to answer . There was one area I wish to respond to for Deputy Ó Cuív on who is responsible for the local authority network. Let us be clear and honest because the members are the guardians of the local authorities up and down the country. On Deputy’s Crowe’s comments, it can be seen in my opening statement that I...