Written answers

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Traveller Accommodation

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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253. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of money that has been available for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to draw down and the amount that has been drawn down for capital spending on Traveller accommodation over each of the years 2011 to 2015 and to date in 2016; and the way these figures compare with all other councils across the country. [35919/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon 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.

The first three TAPs covered the periods 2000-2004, 2005-2008 and 2009-2013. Local authorities adopted the fourth and current round of TAPs in April 2014, with the five-year rolling programmes running from 2014 to 2018. These programmes provide a road map for local authority investment priorities over the period. They also form the basis for the allocation of funding from my Department for Traveller accommodation. Local authorities submit proposals for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments which are assessed on a case-by-case basis in my Department in advance of allocations being made.

The capital allocations and amounts recouped to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and the totals for all City and County Councils nationally in respect of Traveller-specific accommodation for the years 2011 to 2015 and to date in 2016 are set out in the following tables.

The allocations and recoupment profiles for capital Traveller accommodation projects can vary across local authorities given the local priorities, circumstances and project timelines as set out in the local TAPs. Also, where it is likely that an allocation to a local authority may be unspent or under-spent, my Department engages with local authorities to re-allocate the funding in order to ensure that drawdown is maximised. Typically. the bulk of expenditure occurs in the last quarter of the year, having regard to lead in times for planning, design and construction of capital projects. As regards the drawdown of 2016 funding, my Department has been in contact recently with the relevant local authorities, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. regarding the drawdown of the funding. The position will continue to be monitored closely by my Department over the coming weeks.

Allocation

2011

Allocation

2012

Allocation

2013

Allocation

2014

Allocation

2015

Allocation

2016

Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council 750,000 313,150 160,000 8,793 0 419,095
All City and County Councils (incl. DLR Co Co)

15,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 4,300,000 5,500,000




Recouped

2011

Recouped

2012

Recouped

2013

Recouped

2014

Recouped

2015

Recouped

to date in 2016

Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown County Council 330,349 155,051 204,352 23,986 1,592,429 59,262
All City and County Councils (incl. DLR Co Co)

9,314,910 4,000,000 4,142,933 3,163,688 4,129,630 2,386,164

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