Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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139. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the funds available from his Department to Galway City Council and Galway County Council for capital projects in Traveller housing since 2011; the amount drawn down by each of the local authorities since 2011; the achievements by each of the local authorities since 2011 in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35273/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. Capital allocations and amounts recouped to Galway City Council and Galway County Council in respect of Traveller-specific accommodation for the years 2011 to 2016 are set out in the following table.

*Recouped to date

Both Councils have indicated to my Department that they expect to draw down their allocations in full by year-end.

Accommodation for Travellers is provided across a range of options and it is open to Travellers to opt for any form of accommodation. These include standard local authority housing, which is financed from my Department’s capital allocations for social housing, private rented accommodation or private housing assisted by local authorities or voluntary organisations, and Traveller-specific accommodation which is funded by means of 100% capital funding from my Department. Traveller-specific accommodation includes group housing schemes and halting sites. A breakdown of these accommodation options is set out in the Annual Reports of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (NTACC). The NTACC Reports for 2011, 2012 and 2013 are available on my Department’s website at the link below. The 2014 and 2015 NTACC Reports are currently being finalised and will be published shortly on my Department’s website.

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