Travellers affected by storms told ‘take caravans or lose benefit’

Storm-affected Travellers have been told that any family which refuses all reasonable offers of replacement accommodation will have their emergency housing payments stopped.

It follows the revelation that some residents who lost their caravans during Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Eleanor, have refused offers of new caravans, slowing down a €631,000 replacement programme on two halting sites in Cork.

The details are contained in a report, due to be presented to councillors on Monday.