Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I tabled this matter to seek clarity on how the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is dealing with a major fire incident that happened at a halting site in Bantry on 9 November. Has a report on the fire been filed and a fire hazard safety assessment completed? What is the long-term housing plan for the people who live on the site?

On the night of Tuesday, 9 November, a major fire happened at a halting site in Bantry. One unit was totally burned to the ground. It was a significant fire, covered widely on social media and also in the press. The issues regarding the site go back generations, in many ways. What has the Department done about the fire and what assessments has it carried out on the site? Has it examined its cause and how it could be prevented from happening again? How safe is the site now?

As the Minister of State will be aware, unfortunately a very significant fire happened at a halting site in Carrickmines in 2015, in which ten people lost their lives. Some of the recommendations that came from the coroner's court are worth reflecting on. The coroner recommended that the exemption from fire and planning regulations for emergency sites be changed. There is an exemption in regard to planning and fire safety on temporary halting sites. The site in Bantry is 25 years old, yet is considered to be of a temporary nature. Are there, therefore, no planning or fire regulations for the site? It would be a significant issue, not only for the patrons, one whom was injured in the fire, but for the entire town if there are no planning or fire regulations for the site. The coroner's report on the Carrickmines fire further recommended that the powers for establishing emergency halting sites be used for the shortest possible time. The Bantry halting site is 25 years old, one quarter of a century. Are we really saying that is a short period?

The report on the Carrickmines incident is something I want to reflect on. We got an awful rude awakening in 2015 when ten patrons lost their lives. There was a really significant fire in Bantry a week and a half ago and the same could have happened there. There could have been a real tragedy. Having spoken to people who attended the scene that night, I know it was by the grace of God that other units were not lost, with more people affected. The site is located on a dead-end road and access is a big issue. There are commercial units all around it, so the fire could have spread to them and had a significant impact on the entire commercial entity of Bantry.

What is the long-term plan for the site?How are we going to work on the health and safety issues there? What is the Department doing with regard to the judgment of the coroner's report on the Carrickmines incident? Has it taken on board the point made regarding the absence of planning and fire regulation in respect of these sites? Can we put in place a structure to ensure these sites are managed appropriately?

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this matter. Many vulnerable people rely on Cork County Council to keep them safe. The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that local authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and for the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes in their areas. My Department's role is to ensure there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist local authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management led and oversaw a programme at national level to review fire safety in local authority-provided Traveller accommodation following the tragic loss of life at the Carrickmines halting site, which the Senator referenced. We never again want to see an absolutely horrific event like that, where so many vulnerable people lost their lives. Under direction from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, local authorities undertook a major exercise aimed at enhancing fire safety in Traveller accommodation in 2015 and 2016. One of the core objectives of the project is the development and roll-out of a community fire safety awareness initiative appropriate for the Traveller community. The aim of this initiative is to get fire safety messages disseminated into the Traveller community, enabling Travellers to take practical steps in respect of fire safety issues commonly associated with living on halting sites. To support this process, the national directorate, in consultation with key stakeholders including Traveller representative groups, developed an information leaflet and booklet on fire safety in the Traveller community.

My Department continues to engage with local authorities regarding fire safety on Traveller sites. Fire safety matters are discussed at national Traveller accommodation consultative committee meetings. From its contact with Cork County Council in respect of the halting site in Bantry, which operated for more than 25 years, my Department understands that fire safety inspections are carried out annually by the council on all Traveller-specific accommodation. Cork County Council has carried out significant fire safety works on the site in Bantry. These works protected the other families on the site on the night of the fire. The council is working with the family affected to secure appropriate accommodation.

I assure the Senator that the Department is doing everything it can. Again, we have to look at the facts. Last year was the first year in which all the capital expenditure funding in the budget was utilised. The chief reason for this was the Covid pandemic. We have increased the amount available in the capital budget for Traveller accommodation by 25% over the last two years. Cork County Council needs to take advantage of that. With regard to my responsibility, the money is there to support the members and executive of the local authority in making appropriate decisions to ensure the Traveller community has secure and sustainable accommodation. We are working through an expert report. I have established a programme board to respond to the 32 recommendations given to me by the all-party committee. This board is having quarterly meetings with a view to driving that forward to ensure that Travellers have secure tenancies and that their conditions are improved. However, we have to be very clear as to where responsibility lies. I commissioned an audit last year during the Covid pandemic which looked at the HSE response in respect of 250 sites. We must be clear that the money is there. the funding is there and I call on every one of the 31 local authorities in this country to stand up to the mark and draw down funding to ensure that Travellers have sustainable accommodation.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I am slightly disappointed with the Minister of State's response to the question I raised on the fire safety assessment of the halting site. I asked whether it had been completed. It is important that we get clarity as to what assessment has actually been carried out on site since 9 November in respect of this incident.The crux of the issue is that the coroner's statement on the Carrickmines incident states that the fire and planning regulations make these sites exempt. Has that exemption stood? If one looks at what is happening in Bantry, there is no way one could stand over the planning and exemptions when it comes to fire safety on these sites. These are significant issues. This is about learning from a tragedy that occurred in Carrickmines, taking note of what happened in Bantry in November and making sure, first, that there is appropriate planning and fire safety for these halting sites. It was stated in the coroner's report that there was none. When it comes to having the report on what happened that night published, we have no detail or knowledge of what happened. I ask the Minister of State to make that report available to me as soon as possible.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for his concern on behalf of the community in Bantry about this fire. I wish to be very clear about the line of responsibility. It is primarily with the local authority in the first instance. The local authority has advised me, on foot of the Senator's Commencement matter, about the work that has been undertaken as a result of the inspections that took place in Cork. I will refer back to the Senator regarding whether the assessment has been carried out. However, the Senator will note one of the sentences in my response was that the works Cork City Council had already carried out protected other families on the site from a worse potential outcome, but I will refer back to the Senator about the assessment.

In addition, I emphasise that local authorities must step up to the mark in delivering Traveller accommodation through their plans. The Office of the Planning Regulator is now conducting assessments of the plans to do that across the 31 local authorities because it is very urgent. They have to step up to the mark. As regards all the planning issues the Senator referred to, the local authority has primary responsibility to do that. When the local authority comes knocking on my door for the funding, I can assure it that it will be wide open.