Limerick priest: Travellers don't want to go anywhere where they upset people

A Limerick priest has says Travellers do not want to be housed in areas they are not wanted.

It comes as talks continue to try to find new homes for the families affected by the fire at a halting site in Dublin's Carrickmines.

The tragedy has put a spotlight on other halting sites like Clonlong in Limerick, where residents have been trying to bring attention to overcrowding for years.

However despite a report published four years ago, some locals have criticised a lack of progress in housing families since then.

Parish priest in Limerick's Southill, Fr Pat Hogan, says most travellers want to live in peace and protect their children from anti-social behaviour.

He said: "They don't want to go anywhere where they upset people or cause any friction. From my speaking to them, they don't want to be on big sites, they want to be in a place where there is peace and harmony.

"I also hear them saying that they are embarrassed by what some of the Travellers do when it comes to anti-social behaviour or criminal activity as we would be embarrassed by anyone in my community doing it.

"They want to get away from that, they don’t want to be on these big sites locked in and they want to protect their children from all this."