Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to remember the deaths of ten people from the Traveller community. Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Carrickmines fire. I want to remember Tara Gilbert, her partner Jimmy Lynch and their daughters Jodie and Kelsey, Willie Lynch, Thomas Connors, his wife Sylvia and their children Jimmy, Christy and Mary who sadly died in a fire in Carrickmines eight years ago. Unfortunately, eight years later, little or nothing has changed around Traveller accommodation. The extended family of the ten people who lost their lives are still living in that location in absolutely horrifying living conditions. It is no different for many Travellers around the country who are living in horrible living conditions.

For the three and a half years that I have been a Member of the Seanad, I have raised Traveller accommodation numerous times. We made recommendations to the then special committee on Travellers. One of the recommendations was to establish a Traveller accommodation authority which would oversee delivery by local authorities. We are pleading for that. I call for a debate on Traveller accommodation at local and national level and how we are still failing Travellers. I am thinking of the money drawn down by local authorities last year. The funding has changed in that local authorities are allocated the money if they need the money. Unfortunately, as I said, very little has changed around Traveller accommodation. I call for an urgent debate in the next week or two on delivery and where the money from last year’s budget for Traveller accommodation has gone. We know it is being spent but we need to know how and what the outcomes are.