COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 14, 2007

QUESTION No. 5

QUESTION: Councillor M. Daly

To ask the Manager what progress if any has been made to deal with the probable influx of illegal encampments to the county during the summer. Would he agree that the provision of transient site in the county is long overdue and will he make a statement on the matter?

REPLY

In accordance with the Council's Traveller Accommodation Programme prepared under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, it is an objective of the Council to consider the provision of transient accommodation in the county during the term of the current Traveller Accommodation Programme.

It has generally been agreed that in the Greater Dublin Area, transient accommodation in each county would be provided in a coordinated and comprehensive manner as part of a network of transient sites provided by each of the relevant local authorities. A number of meetings between the relevant authorities have been held to consider how such an integrated plan could be developed and delivered but to date no consensus on the matter has been reached. Efforts in this regard will continue.

In the last number of years, there have been no large scale movement of Travellers to the county during the summer period. Therefore, the need for a transient facility in the county is not clearly established. It is clear however that the significant provision of new Traveller specific accommodation in the county during the last number of years has also considerably assisted in this regard. The provision of the new permanent Traveller specific housing has also allowed two of the larger and older temporary sites in the county to be permanently closed.