Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1157. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a decision will be made on the request made by Galway City Council for the replacement of mobile homes and caravans on city Traveller halting sites and the need for the upgrading of accommodation on all halting sites in Galway city on health and safety grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1159/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, 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 management of the programme locally, and the selection, prioritisation and submission of individual projects, is a matter for each local authority, in this case, Galway City Council.

As part of the capital funding supports provided by my Department, funding of 50% is provided to housing authorities for the purchase of ‘Emergency Replacement Mobiles’. An emergency in this respect is an unanticipated event, such as storm damage, that would render a caravan/mobile uninhabitable or dangerous to live in.

My Department has not received a formal request for the replacement of mobile homes and caravans on Traveller halting sites from Galway City Council. Upon receipt, any such submission will be considered by my Department.