Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality 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. [29697/17]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The total funding available to my Department in respect of Traveller and Roma initiatives for 2017 is €3,230,000, of which €1,350,000, in respect of funding for 14 Traveller community groups and national-level NGOs, transferred to my Department from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government on 1 January 2016. This was in addition to a sum of €550,000 which transferred to my Department from the Department of Social Protection (for 7 Special Initiative for Travellers projects) on 1 January 2015. My Department provided funding of €273,800 in 2014, €864,188 in 2015 and €2,103,830 in 2016 for Traveller specific initiatives. Details of the funding allocation in the years in question are set out in the following Table.

As in previous years, my Department has made funding available to Traveller Interagency Groups and Community Groups for activities around Traveller Pride Week in 2017. Funding, averaging about €2,000 for each approved project, is available for suitable projects which celebrate Traveller Culture in local communities. The flagship event of Traveller Pride Week, the Traveller Pride Awards, is also sponsored by my Department.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has led a comprehensive consultation process to develop the new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, which I launched on 13 June 2017, to improve the situation for Travellers and Roma in Ireland. I have been successful in gaining sanction for €1 million in additional funding in 2017 for Traveller and Roma initiatives related to the new Inclusion Strategy. This is a positive step forward and demonstrates both the Government’s and my Department's commitment to supporting the Traveller community nationwide.

My Department has an advisory group in place. The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy Steering Group was set up in 2015 after a review of existing Traveller and Roma consultation structures by my Department to monitor and assess the implementation of the Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and is in line with the EU Framework for the Implementation of Roma Integration Strategies.