Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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660. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the Traveller accommodation allocations for each local authority for 2019; and the drawdown to date by each local authority in tabular form. [47471/19]

Damien English (Meath West, 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.

Housing authorities submit funding proposals for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments on an annual basis. These projects are assessed on a case-by-case basis in my Department in advance of allocations being made. In addition, further funding may be considered by my Department throughout the year in the light of progress across the programme generally. There is regular contact between my Department and housing authorities in order to try to ensure maximum progress and drawdown. If it becomes clear that allocations or part thereof may be unspent, then those allocations will be diverted to alternative projects and developments.

The amounts of funding allocated in 2019 and drawn down to-date by housing authorities, for Traveller-specific accommodation are set out in the following table.