COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 13, 2015

QUESTION NO.6

QUESTION: Councillor L. Dunne

To ask the Chief Executive, can a similar approach of the house hold budget, be adopted, whereby, rent is deducted from social welfare payments, for the purpose of buying and supplying chalets or mobile homes for Traveller accommodation? 

REPLY:

Section 25 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act provides local authorities with powers to give loans for the provision of private traveller specific accommodation, i.e caravans or sites for caravans. It covers the acquisition of land and the construction of serviced units and hardstand associated with sites for caravans. It also provides for the making of loans for caravan replacement or repair. Any loans scheme will be subject to terms and conditions specified by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

South Dublin County Council previously operated a caravan loan scheme to assist families whose caravans are considered to be no longer habitable but were not using same due to non payment of loans.  The LTACC considered the matter and decided that the Traveller Development Groups would recommended families for the loans based on their knowledge of them and undertakings received to meet the loan repayments.  146 number of loans totalling €766,080.95 were granted by South Dublin County Council under the scheme.  Repayments to date have totalled €290,154.93 leaving €475,926.02 outstanding. The matter was again discussed by the LTACC and it was agreed that the scheme was not viable with this level of non-repayment.  Consequently it was decided to discontinue the scheme and no funding has been provided in the Council Budget for loans.