Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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577. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the allocated funding provided to Tipperary County Council for Traveller-specific accommodation purchases in each of the years 2016 to 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2078/23]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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578. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding spent by Tipperary County Council for Traveller-specific accommodation purchases in each of the years 2016 to 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2079/23]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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579. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding that was returned and unused by Tipperary County Council for Traveller-specific accommodation in each of the years 2016 to 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2080/23]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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580. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount of funding sought from his Department and the number of properties purchased by Tipperary County Council for Traveller-specific accommodation from 2020 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2081/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 to 580, inclusive, together.

The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.

The Act provides that 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.

The allocation and drawdown for Tipperary County Council in each of the years 2016 to 2019 for Traveller-Specific Accommodation is set out in the following table:

My Department ceased the practice of allocating specific budgets to individual local authorities and implemented a new allocation process following a review of arrangements for the disbursement of funding provision and related supports for Traveller-specific accommodation. Since 2020, it is open to all local authorities to apply for and drawdown funds at any time throughout the year and this is actively encouraged by my Department.

My Department provided funding for acquisitions as sought by Tipperary County Council from 2020-2022 as set out in the following table: