Number of Traveller families up 1,500 in past five years

The number of Traveller families in Ireland has increased by 1,500 over the past five years, according to figures released by the Department of the Environment.

The department said the number of Travellers living in unauthorised sites had also halved from 1,200 to 600 in the five-year period, with 5,000 Traveller families now living in local authority housing.