Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the success of local authorities in achieving targets set by the Traveller accommodation strategies in their localities. [45423/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, 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, covering the four-year period 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 1,207 families at the start of the programmes to 601 families at their completion.

Significant progress is being made nationally under the second Traveller accommodation programmes, covering the four-year period 2005 to 2008. Some 1,156 additional units of new and improved accommodation have been provided for Traveller families up to the end of 2007. Expenditure under the second programmes up to end November 2008 exceeds €134 million. I will be asking the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee to report, as early as possible in 2009, on the progress made over the full period of the second programmes.

Local authorities are currently preparing the third round of Traveller accommodation programmes, which will cover the five-year period 2009-2013. In accordance with the legislative requirements, these programmes are to be adopted by 30 April 2009 at the latest.