Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of Traveller families on the waiting list under the local authority Traveller accommodation programmes 2014-2018, by local authority, in tabular form; the current budget spend on the local authority traveller accommodation programmes 2014-2018, in tabular form; the details of the housing stock each local authority has provided up to 2016 and plans to be built before the end of the local authority Traveller accommodation programmes; if any local authority has not used its full monetary allocation for the programmes; and if not, the amount that was returned for each year from 2013. [41739/16]

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.

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 number of traveller families on the waiting list under the local authority traveller accommodation programmes 2014-2018 and the allocation of housing is a matter for each individual local authority, the details of which are not held in my Department.

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 TAPs. Funding is recouped to local authorities on eligible expenditure incurred and, 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. The allocations and recoupment to date in relation to the current local authority traveller accommodation programmes 2014-2018 and also for 2013, as requested, are set out in tabular form in the table at Appendix 1.

Details of targets under the Traveller Accommodation Programmes and outputs achieved for the years 2014 and 2015 are attached at Appendix 2. Details of 2016 outputs are being compiled.

Appendix 1

*These local authorities merged in June 2014 (i.e. Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford).

**Includes €55,000 which was self-funded by Fingal County Council from surplus Local Property Tax receipts.