COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 08, 2020
QUESTION NO. 15
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
To ask the Chief Executive to present an update on the Travellers Accommodation Programme and will he make a statement.
REPLY:
The Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019-2024, as adopted by the Elected Members in July 2019 prioritised three sites to be progressed in 2020. These sites were identified for construction/redevelopment works to provide long-term sustainable Traveller Accommodation:
Oldcastle Park - With the agreement of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, the Council has commenced a Traveller led consultation process through CENA (Culturally Appropriate Homes Limited), a Traveller-led Voluntary Accommodation Association, to bring forward proposals for the redevelopment of Oldcastle Park. While an initial family profiling exercise has been completed by CENA, further work on this consultation process was suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. This process will resume as soon as appropriate easing of COVID-19 related restrictions allows.
Fonthill Road – a consultation process with the tenants of this site regarding the proposed re-development of their current site has been ongoing. The Traveller families concerned have requested some amendments to the proposed plans and these are currently under review with a view to finalising plans as soon as possible and progressing development work.
Owendoher Haven – Staff from the Traveller Accommodation Unit and Architectural Services Department have met with most of the families from Owendoher Haven to discuss proposals for the re-development of the site. While feedback from these meetings was extremely positive and all families were agreeable in principal to the proposed re-development plans, a small number of residents have failed to engage in the consultation process. We are exploring resolution of this with external groups/agencies including Tallaght Traveller Development Group and the Traveller Mediation Service to progress plans for redevelopment towards a Part 8 Public Consultation process later this year.
In addition, the allocation of standard social housing to Traveller households under the Traveller Accommodation Programme continues on an ongoing basis for those families whose stated preference is for such accommodation.