Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his assessment of the situation relating to the accommodation of Travellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7410/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Since the enactment of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, each local authority has adopted two successive Traveller Accommodation Programmes. In the course of the first programmes, 2000 to 2004, some 1,371 additional Traveller families were provided with permanent, secure accommodation. Over the same period there was a 50% reduction in the number of families living on unauthorised sites, down from 1207 families at the start of the programmes to 601 families at their completion.

One of the significant developments during the period of both Traveller Accommodation Programmes has been the establishment of structures and mechanisms at both national and local level to ensure that all services provided to Travellers by statutory agencies, including accommodation, are delivered in a more effective and co-ordinated way. At national level the High Level Group on Traveller Issues, chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, works closely with my Department to ensure effective co-ordination, at local level, of the provision of all services to Travellers. The local authorities, through the County Development Boards, are actively engaged in putting the necessary structures in place to ensure effective liaison and co-ordination of services provision to Travellers, using an inter-agency approach.

My Department, in partnership with the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, will continue to facilitate the development of strategies at national level to further improve the accommodation position of Travellers and to accelerate its provision. A particular priority for the new Committee, which takes up office on 5 March next, will be to consider how families on unauthorised sites can be provided with permanent accommodation as soon as possible and how Travellers can develop self-supporting approaches to meeting their own needs.