COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

QUESTION NO. 5

QUESTION: Councillor M. Ward

“To ask the Chief Executive to explain why no funding was requested or spent under the Traveller Accommodation programme North of the Naas Road for 2015 and 2016 and to outline what plans the Chief Executive has for requesting funding from the Department of Housing for 2017.”

REPLY:

Funding was sought under the Capital Programme in 2015 for €1.7m for a number of projects across the County including two Medical Priority Chalets for tenants North of the Naas Road.  We were not allocated any funding under the Traveller Accommodation Programme in 2015 as the Department were only funding projects that were already underway or being finished.

In 2016, South Dublin County Council applied for funding for wide ranging projects across the County at a cost of €12,091.000 of which €1,269,000 was requested in respect of 2016 drawdown.  

By letter dated 21st June 2016, the Department notified the Council that the National Capital Allocation for Traveller Accommodation in 2016 was to be €5.5Million.  The letter further stated

"This ring fenced funding is for the provision of Traveller-Specific accommodation such as Group Housing and Halting Sites for Traveller Families. The bulk of the funding in 2016 is being allocated in respect of schemes currently under construction and new schemes approved by the Department to commence in 2016. Some of the funding will be used to meet final balance on completed schemes.

If you have included a new proposal in response to Department Circular, the Council must submit the relevant documentation (.i.e. Drawings, Scope of Works, all in costs, Occupational Therapy reports etc.)  to the Department for consideration before projects can be approved to proceed."

The Council are currently working on preparing the necessary documentation to comply with this requirement in respect of the redevelopment of the Oldcastle and St Aiden's sites which are the stated priorities of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee.

The Department did allocate Funding in the sum of €55,587 being 50% of the cost of two mobile chalets for Tenants north of the Naas Road, which funding was matched by the Council from its own resources and these chalets are currently being manufactured off site.  

The Council will continue to apply for funding in 2017 in accordance with the Current Traveller Accommodation Programme.