COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, April 11, 2022
QUESTION NO. 15
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
To ask the Chief Executive to present an update on the Travellers Accommodation Programme.
REPLY:
The Traveller Accommodation Programme (TAP) 2019-2024 was adopted by the Elected Members in July 2019. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are currently preparing guidelines which will issue shortly in relation to the mid-term review of progress under the current TAP. Once the midterm review is completed, the Council will present a report to the elected members. Any amendments to the proposed accommodation programme must then be made within seven months.
Four sites were prioritised to be progressed in the current TAP for construction/redevelopment works to provide long-term, sustainable Traveller Accommodation in the County:
Fonthill Road: Proposals for the construction of this new Traveller- specific innovative development will comprise of seven new ‘A’ rated energy efficient homes: five four-bedroom and two three-bedroom two storey houses The Part 8 planning application will be published shortly and will go to public consultation. The proposals will be available for inspection at County Hall, Tallaght, and Civic Offices, Clondalkin or online on the Council’s Consultation Portal.
Adamstown – Planning approval in Adamstown for the delivery of six units of accommodation (four-bedroom homes) has been granted under a Part V agreement with the developer. It is expected that these units will be available for allocation in 2022.
Owendoher Haven – The Council held ten individual consultation meetings with residents between 16th and 23rd March 2022 regarding the redevelopment of the site. The revised designed plans for two storey homes based on the consultation process with CENA has been widely welcomed and a follow up group meeting with their representatives is to be scheduled for April.
Oldcastle Park - With the agreement of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, the Council has completed 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. Preliminary drawings for the location of new Traveller specific and social housing units have recently been completed by our Architectural Services Department. The Council has now recommenced engagement with the residents regarding the type and design of their new homes. It is expected that the final design plans for the redevelopment towards a Part 8 Public Consultation process will be progressed in 2022.
In addition, the TAP cited the potential for casual vacancies in both Traveller specific accommodation and standard social housing as key part of meeting the housing needs of Traveller households. To date under the current TAP, 18 Traveller households have been allocated casual vacancies in Traveller specific accommodation. In addition, several Traveller households have separately been allocated standard social housing from private rented or other accommodation along with 27 Traveller households having transferred to standard social housing from Traveller specific accommodation sites.
Two specially adapted medical chalets are also currently under construction to meet the accommodation needs of households in existing Traveller accommodation developments and fifteen households have also been approved for new mobile homes under the Council's pilot carvan/mobile home loan scheme.