Waterford Traveller group criticise decision to reject accommodation for halting site

Waterford's south quay. File picture: Denis Minihane.

A Traveller group in Waterford has criticised a decision by local councillors to reject accommodation for a halting site in the city, calling it 'populist' and claiming that it "shows the local authority can’t meet their responsibility" to provide Traveller accommodation.

A proposal containing seven bays, amounting to 14 homes, was brought before the council last week, with local authority management saying it would help regularise dwellings at the site. 

A number of caravans and chalets have been moved into the area without planning permission in recent years.

Councillors had previously voted overwhelmingly to defer the proposal previously in 2019.

Independents, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael all opposed the latest proposal, with just two out of 16 councillors - from Labour and the Greens - supporting the development.

In a statement, the Waterford Traveller Community Development Project (WTCDP) said it was “dismayed” by the Waterford Metropolitan Councillors who voted to veto the proposed improvements to the Carrickpherish group housing development.

Instead, according to the group, Travellers on the site remain "in overcrowded, inadequate, and unhealthy conditions" and in "desperate need" of the new bays.

Karen Reilly, from the WTCDP, said the families won’t be leaving Carrickphierish and need proper accommodation. 

They are part of the family that lives in the halting site in Carrickphierish, that’s where they were born and they’re not going anywhere. They’re not leaving the area, that’s where they were born.”

Ms Reilly said that the decision shows that Waterford councillors can’t meet their responsibility to provide Traveller accommodation and are instead “looking after their own”.

She added that a recommendation made by an expert group on the implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Act, to remove Traveller accommodation from the power of local authorities, should happen.

“This action by councillors makes the case to have responsibility for Traveller accommodation taken away from local councils," Ms Reilly said. 

"Waterford Council has proved it's not able to do the job so let a national body do it.” 

She added that “any planning issues around any unauthorised mobiles” can be dealt with as the project proceeds.

Population growth 

The dwellings originated in 2004, when the then Waterford City Council completed three group housing dwellings which currently exist in Carrickpherish, allocating them to three extended Waterford Traveller families.

These families have "quite naturally" grown in the past 17 years, said Ms Reilly. 

"This foreseeable population growth has been ignored by Waterford Council as they have continuously failed to deliver on their approved Traveller Accommodation Plans."

Responding, Fianna Fáil councillor Eamon Quinlan said he disputes claims made by the group. 

"The area is not just seeing natural population growth. There were two homes there over a year ago - now there's eight."

He said the area needs major investment, more housing and facilities to deal with ongoing antisocial behaviour in the wider area.

The Department of Housing said that the recommendation is "one of 32 which have been put forward" arising from the expert report.

A spokesperson said the 32 recommendations can be broken down into four categories, including addressing how information is gathered and used; removing any potential delays and obstacles in the planning system in terms of delivery; increasing resources and delivery capacity and strengthening governance arrangements.

A board which is representative of the main stakeholders has now been established to review and drive the implementation of recommendations from the Expert Group Report. 

It is meeting for the first time tomorrow to implement a work programme.