Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he allocated funding to local authorities to fund Traveller accommodation; if he must authorise any compulsory purchase orders that might be required to meet accommodation needs; if funding is provided for specific requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5942/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, all relevant local authorities adopted Traveller accommodation programmes. The first programmes, covering the period 2000 to 2004, have just been completed. A second round of programmes, covering the period 2005 to 2008, is in the process of being adopted.

The provision, under these programmes of new Traveller-specific accommodation and the refurbishment of existing Traveller-specific accommodation which includes halting sites and group houses is funded under my Department's Traveller accommodation capital programme. In the period 2000 to 2004, local authorities received an allocation of €125.69 million, of which €40 million was allocated in 2004. This does not include the cost of standard local authority accommodation provided for Travellers which is funded under my Department's local authority housing programme, or housing provided by voluntary housing bodies allocated to Travellers and funded under my Department's voluntary housing schemes.

As section 214 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 transferred functions of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in regard to the determination of compulsory purchase orders to An Bord Pleanála with effect from 1 January 2001, I have no function in authorising such orders.

Local authorities develop particular Traveller-specific accommodation schemes in accordance with their Traveller accommodation programmes. Prior to commencing such schemes, local authorities must obtain approval from my Department, which allocates funding from within the overall Traveller-specific allocation to such schemes. My Department will continue to provide the necessary funding to meet the cost to local authorities of the provision of Traveller-specific accommodation.

Details of the amount available to authorities for the provision and refurbishment of Traveller-specific accommodation will be made available in the revised Estimates for public service for 2005.