Results 21-40 of 1,498 for speaker:Eileen Flynn

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: I thank the Chair. I look forward to doing the work with my colleagues on the committee over the next few years. It is a cross-party committee. It is great to have members on the committee who care for the Traveller community. I look forward to meaningful work going forward and, most important, actions that may save the lives of some Travellers.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: We will come back.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Mr. O'Sullivan claimed earlier that there has been a full drawdown of funds for the past five years. However, between 2008 and 2018, local authorities only drew down €110.6 million of the €168.8 million allocated. What has changed since then, and what has been put in place to stop this pattern from returning? The 1995 task force identified a need for 1,000 transient bays,...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Yes, because a lot of that money was not spent on Travellers. It is important that we are very clear on this, because none of us here is living the experiences of the Traveller community.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Taking it back, Mr. O'Sullivan said that 78%-----

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Some 79% of Travellers are living in social housing.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: That is, from the Department's point of view, as Mr. O'Sullivan said, positive. However, is that the accommodation that Travellers want or is that the accommodation that communities force them into? If we do not have the definition of "culturally appropriate" and what that means for many of the Traveller community, I find it a wee bit difficult to grasp. I am currently dealing with a...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: For many years, Travellers have spoken about how society wants to make us fake settled people. When we go into the fact that 79% of Travellers are housed in local authority housing but without their needs being met or being culturally appropriate-----

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Travellers make up more than 9% of the homeless.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: For the record, does Mr. O'Sullivan know who the Minister with responsibility for Traveller accommodation is because we are not-----

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: It is not the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: I thank Mr. O'Sullivan. When it comes to the money being spent on waste management, social workers, maintenance and caretakers on these sites, as Mr. O’Sullivan outlined, I am a little concerned that these workers are not members of the Traveller community. These are workers from the general population. I do not know how this fits with the Traveller accommodation budget. Mr....

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: That money is coming out of the Traveller accommodation budget that is meant to home Travellers. It is not meant to go to waste management. There are great social workers in all of the local authorities. This is an issue that has been going on for years. That is meant to be done via social workers through Tusla, the Department of Social Protection or whatever other Department deals with...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: This money gets drawn down and it is known to be for Traveller accommodation, but in reality, a lot of it is not. Thousands of euro are spent not on Traveller accommodation, but on waste management. We would not see this in another community. It would not be allowed. Before the meeting comes to an end, will the Department give the local authorities that definition of "Traveller...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Are there any recommendations from the Department on how we can invest in true Traveller accommodation? Does Mr. O'Sullivan have any suggestions for the committee? Is it okay with the Department that we fund social workers, waste management, the Covid-19 chalk on sites and separating families? The money spent on that should not have come out of the Traveller accommodation budget. As...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Of course, that is to maintain the sites, but I am going on about specific money for housing. Can Mr. O'Sullivan justify the Department of housing paying for social workers?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: May I a make a wee suggestion for the committee, please? Would it be possible for the Department to give us a briefing on or breakdown of what it spends Traveller accommodation money on? It would be an eye-opener for members of this committee to see, for example, that some of the Covid-19 "keep 2 m away" signs and so on cost local authorities such as Dublin City Council a lot of money.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: If it is okay, I have about seven other questions. If I emailed them to the witnesses and they came back, I would be very grateful.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Funding Strategy for Traveller-Specific Accommodation: Discussion (19 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Okay.

Seanad: Visit of New Zealand Delegation (18 Jun 2025)

Eileen Flynn: Before moving to the next speaker, I welcome the New Zealand ambassador, Mr. Trevor Mallard, to the Houses and his guests, Mr. Chris Hipkins and Ms Toni Grace. I also welcome Deputy Catherine Connolly and her son, Stephen, to the Public Gallery. I hope they have a nice experience.