Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 494: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the special arrangements in place within his Department and at the point of service delivery to meet the needs of the Traveller community; and if his attention has been drawn to particular difficulties experienced by members of the Traveller community in accessing services. [37601/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's function in regard to Travellers is to ensure an adequate legislative and financial framework is in place within which local authorities, relevant voluntary bodies, and Traveller organisations may provide, or be assisted in the provision of, management and maintenance of accommodation for Travellers.

The legislative framework for the provision of accommodation for Travellers is set out in the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998. That Act requires the establishment of structures, at departmental and local level, which support the improved provision of accommodation for Travellers. These structures include the establishment of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, the role of which is to provide me with advice on all aspects of the provision of accommodation for Travellers. This committee is composed of representatives of my Department and the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform as well as representatives of both councillors and officials from local authorities and representatives of Travellers and Traveller support groups.

At local level the 1998 Act requires that local authorities adopt and implement Traveller accommodation programmes and establish local traveller accommodation consultative committees. The first Traveller accommodation programmes covered the period 2000 to 2004. All relevant local authorities have now adopted new Traveller accommodation programmes for the period 2005 to 2008.

In terms of financial provision, my Department provides 100% of the capital funding required by local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers. This funding is provided through the local authority housing programmes and also in the form of a separate allocation for provision and refurbishment of Traveller specific accommodation. Funding is also provided to support local authorities with the costs of the management and maintenance of Traveller specific accommodation and with the employment of housing welfare officers and social workers to provide appropriate services to Travellers in regard to accommodation.

Under the first Traveller accommodation programmes, a total of €130 million was expended on the provision of new Traveller specific accommodation and on the refurbishment of existing Traveller specific accommodation to modern standards. It is expected that expenditure on Traveller specific accommodation in 2005 will be higher than in previous years.

Substantial progress was made during the first Traveller accommodation in providing Travellers with improved access to accommodation. Under these programmes a total of 1,371 additional families have been accommodated in permanent accommodation and the number of families on unauthorised sites has been reduced from 1,207 at the start of the programmes to 610 at the end of 2004. While this progress is welcome it is clear that further improvements are necessary. I look to the new Traveller accommodation programmes to deliver on that improvement.