Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Kelleher for providing me with the opportunity to update the House on the Traveller accommodation programme, TAP, review which was recently completed and provided to the national Traveller accommodation committee, NTACC. A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to establishing a special working group to audit the current delivery and implementation of local authorities' Traveller accommodation plans and consult stakeholders on key areas of concern. This commitment was underpinned in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness which provided for the commissioning by the Housing Agency, on behalf of the Department, of an expert, independent review of expenditure on and delivery of Traveller accommodation to underpin the work of the special working group.

In 2016, the Housing Agency commissioned the review, which examined capital and current funding for Traveller-specific accommodation for the period 2000 to date, having regard to the targets contained in the local authority TAPs and actual units delivered. It also examined the current status of the accommodation funded and the funding provided for accommodation maintenance and other supports. Where targets in the TAPs have not been met, the review included an analysis of the underlying reasons to identify the particular challenges that need to be addressed to underpin future progress.

The final report was completed and submitted to the Housing Agency in June and it, in turn, submitted the final report to my Department in July. It was circulated to the NTACC members, considered by a subgroup of the NTACC and discussed at the most recent meeting of the NTACC on 28 August. At this meeting, the NTACC agreed to advise me to establish an expert group to examine and make recommendations on issues regarding Traveller accommodation policy, strategy and implementation. This is in keeping with the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government, and I have agreed to proceed with the establishment of this expert group. I have also agreed that a review of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 should be part of the work of the expert group. The composition and terms of reference and methodology of this expert group are being formulated with a view to it being in place as soon as possible. My Department is making arrangements for the recently completed review to be made available on the Department's website within the next week.