Seventeen  councils yet to draw down funds for Traveller accommodation

This year a total of €15.5m was provided in capital funding for the provision of accommodation for Travellers, but just €2,831,917 had been recouped by local authorities by July. Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Seventeen local authorities across the country have not drawn down funds earmarked for Traveller-specific accommodation so far this year, despite more than €15m being made available by the Government. 

While the Department of Housing points out that funding drawdowns can often occur towards the end of the year, there have been calls for greater transparency on how councils utilise this spending.

In 2021, a total of €15.5m was provided in capital funding for the provision of accommodation for Travellers, but by July just €2,831,917 had been drawn down by local authorities.

The two councils with the biggest spend to date were Limerick City & County councils, which spent €1,581,468, and Galway City Council with €312,023. Cork City Council spent €113,056 but Cork County Council has yet to draw down funds.

It is open to all local authorities to apply for and drawdown funds at any time throughout the year, and the Department of Housing says this is "actively encouraged". The department recoups funding to local authorities once the works are complete.

A spokesperson said: "It would be wrong to conclude that no funding drawdown so far in 2021 equates to no spend on Traveller-specific accommodation by a Local Authority in 2021. These funding drawdowns can often occur towards the end of the year."

Covid-19 health measures

In 2020 there was a full drawdown of the €14.5m available for Traveller-specific accommodation, however, much of this was linked to new health measures to help tackle Covid-19.

Between 2008 and 2018, of €168.8m allocated to local authorities for Traveller-specific accommodation, just two-thirds (€110.6m) was drawn down.

Sinn Féin Housing spokesman Eoin O'Broin has echoed the calls of The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) for more transparency on how councils are spending the funding.

Previously, councils would apply for the amount they thought they would spend, however now, the projects go ahead with the funding recouped upon completion.

'Failure of government'

Mr O'Broin says the inability to monitor how councils are accommodating Traveller people is a failure of government.

"At the Housing Committee, we have asked for clear data to be included on Traveller specific-accommodation in the national Local Authority and Approved Housing Body new-build pipeline.

"I am convinced it would further expose the failure of councils to abide by a statutorily binding programme.

"The concern many of us have is it is becoming more difficult to track who is hitting their targets, it is clear that a large number are not doing what they're should be doing to meet Traveller needs.

The TD said the situation is getting worse "despite the fact we've mountains of data from an expert report with recommendations on how to fix it.

"This is a failure of Local Authorities to fully implement programmes and a failure of the central government to adequately respond to local failure."

39% of Traveller households live in overcrowded conditions compared with less than 6% of all households.

Discrimination

A 2018 report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission found Travellers to be 22 times more likely than any other group to be discriminated against in the private rental sector.
Data from 2018 for Dublin city and county recorded 504 homeless Travellers in emergency accommodation in October 2018, including 100 families with children – this represented 9% of all homeless families in Dublin.