SDCC must recognise ‘real needs’ of Travellers, says councillor

Gary Ibbotson 01 Apr 2022

People Before Profit councillor Madeleine Johansson has called on South Dublin County Council to recognise the “real needs of Travellers” and provide transient sites for nomadic members of the community.

The call came following the reply to a question submitted by Johansson which outlined the council’s response to issues raised by a report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

In the report it was advised that the council should establish and develop a response to the needs of Travellers who are nomadic in the county.

However, in its reply the council re-stated their “commitment in the Traveller Accommodation Programme (TAP) to prioritise the provision of Traveller specific accommodation to meet the current accommodation needs of Travellers in South Dublin ahead of provision of a transient site.”

Johansson asked the council what actions are being taken to “implement the recommendations set out in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission report on the SDCC Traveller accommodation equality review.

The council said that it “is currently in consultation with Travellers regarding the redesign and construction of new Traveller accommodation developments in Oldcastle, Clondalkin and Owendoher Haven, Rathfarnham.

“CENA (Culturally Appropriate Homes), a Traveller-led accommodation association, have been engaged to consult with existing residents of these sites in relation to the delivery of new culturally appropriate accommodation that respects their ethnicity.

“We are taking this approach to ensure that there is ownership, input and full participation by Travellers on in meaningful consultation mechanisms to deliver accommodation that reflects Traveller culture and ethnicity including the needs of older Travellers and Travellers with a disability.”

Johansson criticised the council for not doing more in developing Traveller accommodation.

“South Dublin County Council keep kicking the can down the road when it comes to providing transient sites for Travellers in South Dublin.

“The provision of such sites would allow Travellers to continue to live a traditional nomadic lifestyle, if they so wished.

“The council keep arguing that we first need to the meet the existing need, however the slow pace of development of Traveller Specific Accommodation means that those needs are never met,” she says.

“Instead, there should be an acceleration of the Traveller Accommodation Programme and simultaneously a plan for transient sites should be progressed.

“While I welcome some of the measures being outlined in the reply such as the recruitment of a dedicated Traveller Liaison Officer, it is very disappointing that there are no proposals around the recognition of nomadism in the Traveller population.

“Providing transient sites would go a long towards not only recognising but also supporting the needs of Travellers in South Dublin.”

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