Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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2207. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 16 November 2016, the criteria used by his Department to establish the allocation figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27579/17]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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2208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 16 November 2016, if the funds not drawn down by the local authority were restored to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27580/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2207 and 2208 together.

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 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.  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 and they also form the basis for the allocation of funding from my Department for specific projects and developments.

As part of the annual capital allocation process, local authorities submit proposals for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments which are assessed on a case-by-case basis by my Department in advance of allocations being made.  

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 to another scheme in order to ensure that drawdown is maximised before year-end.