​Traveller Accommodation Programme is failing the needs of the Traveller Community - Ireland

From the Green Party Ireland

Traveller Accommodation Programme is failing the needs of the Traveller Community

The Green Party is calling for a comprehensive review of policy governing Local Authority Traveller Accommodation Programmes, claiming that the policy has abjectly failed to recognise cultural requirements of the Traveller Community. The Green Party also claims that councils throughout the country are failing to provide any new transient halting sites to allow Travellers to avail of during summer months, which is intrinsic to their nomadic culture.

"The Traveller Accommodation Programme is not just failing to meet accommodation needs of Travellers, but is having an adverse impact on every facet of the lives of Travellers," according to Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Cllr. Malcolm Noonan.

Cllr. Noonan believes that the failures of the accommodation programme are leading to poor physical and mental health outcomes, as well as many other social problems within the Traveller Community. "Local Authorities are ignoring their obligations in the provision of transient halting sites and have increasing difficulties in allocating houses to Traveller families because of local resistance and political interference by councillors and TDs right across the State. There exists an endemic racism towards Travellers that permeates every facet of our society and this is forcing many families to opt for private rented accommodation out of frustration with the slow delivery of Traveller housing," he continued.

"The plight of Travellers is being compounded by the loss of public health nurses, educational supports and other services throughout the country."

He also claimed that there was no urgency at Government level because of the low priority of Traveller issues. He cited a consistent failure to give statutory recognition to Travellers as an ethnic minority as recommended by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. "This fundamental overarching legislation would put Traveller issues on a human rights platform and be in line with similar recognition in Northern Ireland and the UK, yet successive governments have failed to prioritise it. Ultimately I believe that the Traveller Accommodation Programme needs to be radically changed and the Travellers' unique and rich culture be protected by the State," concluded Cllr. Noonan.

Housing Traveller Accommodation Act 1998

Legislation governing all County Traveller Accommodation Programmes undertaken by County Councils.

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Housing/TravelAccommodationProgramme2009-2013.html

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1998/en/act/pub/0033/index.html