Traveller Accommodation

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Questions (97, 98)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

97. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the housing delivered for Travellers nationwide under Housing for All, in tabular form. [45372/24]

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98. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details and the pro-rata percentage of all housing allocations for social housing which have gone to Travellers 2019-2024. [45373/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Alan Dillon)

Housing for All provides provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. It is a multi-annual, multi-billion euro plan which is improving Ireland’s housing system and delivering more homes for people with different housing needs including Travellers.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 and 2023 and for the first half of 2024 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery

Housing for All recognises the importance of addressing Traveller accommodation needs and commits to working with local authorities to improve the quantity and quality of Traveller-specific accommodation. My Department is also committed to support the ambition of local authority Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) and grow the Traveller-specific accommodation pipeline.

Traveller families live in standard social housing as well as Traveller-specific accommodation (i.e. halting sites and group housing schemes) provided at local authority level. Local authorities carry out an Annual Estimate of Traveller Families in Local Authority and Local Authority Assisted Accommodation each year and this provides a breakdown of the accommodation provision across the categories. These reports can be accessed through the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/29c76-traveller-accommodation-statistics/

The allocation of local authority dwellings is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. Details on the pro-rata percentage of all housing allocations for social housing to Travellers is not available in my Department and may be available directly from local authorities.