Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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314. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the actions that his Department has taken to implement the relevant recommendations from the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community report issued in November 2021. [14008/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that local 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.

My Department reviewed the relevant recommendations contained in the final report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, in particular, having regard to the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review report (July 2019) for which there is already a process underway through the independently chaired Programme Board established to drive implementation of the recommendations. My Department is satisfied that the relevant recommendations of Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community are primarily captured within the ongoing work of the Programme Board.

My Department will continue to work within the framework of the Programme Board to deliver the recommendations of Traveller Accommodation Expert Review report (July 2019) including having regard to the relevant recommendations made by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community which fall within the remit of my Department. The Programme Board recently agreed to report progress on implementation of the recommendations on my Department's website and it is available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/37910-traveller-accommodation-expert-review-programme-board-update/.