Dublin’s four local authorities have been accused of “attempting to undermine” legislation on Traveller accommodation in deciding together not to provide transient halting sites.
The Irish Traveller Movement said the councils’ draft Traveller Accommodation Plans (TAPs), to run until 2029 and due to be adopted soon, were a co-ordinated strategy to deny transient sites to Travellers wanting to visit Dublin.
Such sites, where Travellers may stay for a temporary period before moving on, are seen as crucial to facilitating and recognising the community’s nomadic culture.
More than 25 years since legislation obliged every council to “have regard to ... the accommodation needs of travellers other than as their normal place of residence and having regard to the annual patterns of movement by travellers”, no transient site exists in Dublin or outside the capital.
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ITM director Bernard Joyce said: “Travellers’ nomadic way of life is integral to our identity and who we are as a people.”
In their draft TAPs, Dublin’s four local authorities said as there was no “consensus” among Travellers in their areas “for transient sites” they will not provide any.
South Dublin County Council’s draft TAP, for instance, said: “Recognising that the provision of transient sites is a national issue requiring availability of a funding stream, updated guidance and advice on their management and control, it was collectively agreed among the four Dublin local authorities to adopt a regional approach to addressing this matter.”
The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council draft TAP said: “There is no clear agreement among Travellers living in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown on the question of transient sites.”
It also said: “Consideration will not be given to their provision in the Dublin regional area unless there is a consensus among Travellers in the region for these sites, coupled with the development of a national policy on their location, management and control.”
[ Traveller sites in south Dublin removed from plan due to ‘biodiversity considerations’ ]
But, having sought legal advice on the councils’ approach, the ITM said “consensus” among Travellers in one county or region could not be a precondition for the provision of transient sites for Travellers who may wish to use these.
Mr Joyce said: “Local authorities are obliged to have regard for nomadic culture in their plans, which is a whole-of-community right and not conditioned by consensus. Bypassing legislation which gives effect to that right wouldn’t stand scrutiny according to legal advice we have obtained.”
A Department of Housing spokesman said €23 million was available for Traveller accommodation this year, including for transient sites. Guidelines for Accommodating Transient Traveller Families, published in 2020, are available on the department website.
“The department is engaging with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to explore the feasibility of an all-island approach to the provision of a network of transient sites,” the spokesman said.
An NIHE spokesman said: “We have been engaging with the Department for Housing in the Republic of Ireland regarding the commissioning of research on transitory living for Irish Travellers across the island of Ireland. We will continue to explore options in the months ahead.”
The four Dublin authorities have been asked for a response.
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