Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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523. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the 59 units of additional public Traveller accommodation delivered by local authorities in 2016 and the 66 delivered in 2017 that were new builds delivered in their respective years by county, in tabular form. [48161/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Traveller-specific projects and developments are focused on group housing schemes and halting sites.  This includes meeting traveller-specific housing needs through a range of mechanisms, including the provision of mobiles and caravans; the provision and refurbishment of halting sites and bays within sites; the refurbishment and extension of existing group housing; the return to use of void group housing; and the provision of new group housing.  It is assumed that it is the latter to which the Deputy is referring in the Question.  In this regard, in 2016 there were 8 units of new group housing provided - 4 in County Kilkenny and 4 in County Tipperary.  The latest available data for 2017 indicates that 4 units of new group housing have been provided, in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

It should be noted that it is open to Travellers to opt for any form of State-supported accommodation and Traveller accommodation needs are addressed to a significant extent through mechanisms other than Traveller-specific projects, such as through general social housing or through the private rental sector, with supports such as the Housing Assistance Payment.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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524. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the enforcement measures contained within the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998. [48162/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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As set out in my reply to Questions No 271 and 272 of 26 October 2017, 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.  

Under section 18 (2) of the Act, the Minister may, after consultation with a relevant authority, require that relevant housing authority to amend or replace an accommodation programme in a manner and by a date specified by the Minister and the relevant housing authority concerned shall comply with any such requirement.