Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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609. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the position regarding Traveller support and services provided by his Department in each county; the groups, agencies and voluntary bodies involved; the cost of same for each county for the past three years and to date in 2017; his plans to set up an advisory group to report on the minimum levels of support and services from his Department that should be available in each county to address the needs and the rights of Travellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29692/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Question is referring to my Department's Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) which operated from 2010 to March 2015, and to the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP).

The objective of the LCDP was to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, and its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities. It was a key tool of Government in providing supports for the harder to reach in the most disadvantaged areas and communities. It was delivered at a local level by the nationwide network of Local Development Companies and by a number of other organisations including the National Traveller Partnership (NTP), Pavee Point and the National Traveller Women’s Forum.

The NTP co-ordinated the delivery of the LCDP in partnership with 14 Traveller Community Development projects by means of a community development approach, promotion of human rights and a clear recognition of Travellers’ specific identity. The 14 Traveller projects are listed below:-

- Ballyfermot Travellers Action Project

- Blanchardstown Traveller Support Group

- Bray Travellers Community Development Group Ltd

- Clondalkin Travellers Development Group

- Donegal Travellers Project

- Galway Traveller Movement Ltd

- Navan Travellers Workshop

- St. Margaret's Travellers Community Association Ltd

- Tallaght Travellers Community Development Project

- Tipperary Rural Travellers' Project Ltd

- TravAct -Northside Travellers Support Group

- Tullamore Traveller Movement

- Waterford Travellers Community Development Project

- Wicklow Travellers Group

Following the SICAP procurement process, discussions took place between the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) and the Department of Justice and Equality (DJE) regarding the introduction of a revised support scheme for Travellers. An agreement was reached in March 2015, which resulted in the responsibility for support to Travellers and Roma groups becoming a key function of the DJE through the permanent transfer of some €1.375 million to that Department.

My Department also supports a number of Traveller projects under the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO). This funding scheme, which supports national organisations in the community and voluntary sector, aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services.

The following table lists the LCDP, SSNO and transferred DJE funding supports provided.

The SICAP funding allocations for front-line delivery for 2015, 2016 and 2017 nationally were €28m, €37.5m and €37.5m, respectively. Travellers are a specified target group of SICAP and benefit from a range of activities and supports under the programme. SICAP Programme Implementers are required to report financial information at action level under each of the 3 programme goals. As actions relate to work with more than one target group, it is not possible to provide a financial breakdown for a specific target group.

SICAP Programme Implementers ensure that Traveller participants availing of SICAP supports are made aware of the opportunities for local self-employment (which may include social entrepreneurship) and, where appropriate, receive training to enhance their skills to take up these opportunities. The number of Travellers receiving support from SICAP are set out in the following table.

Travellers receiving support under SICAP