Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, has sat on €50 million in unspent moneys allocated for Traveller accommodation. This is exacerbated by the Department sitting on €292 million over the past decade. Neither the previous Government nor this one has taken this issue seriously. We need a serious debate in this House on Traveller ethnicity and the rights of Travellers. There needs to be a dedicated debate with an open discourse and people's issues need to be taken on board. However, we need to recognise the rights of Travellers, who are citizens. It is an important debate that we need to have as soon as possible.