Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has urged the government to show greater urgency in the implementation of the 32 recommendations of the Expert Group on Traveller accommodation.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Today the Joint Committee on Housing and the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community met together to discuss the Expert Group Review of Traveller Accommodation.

“The committee members heard from the Minister of State Peter Burke, the City and County Managers Association and the Irish Traveller Movement.

“It is clear that significant issues remain in terms of progress on implementing the recommendations of this Report, which was published in 2019.

“It is hugely frustrating that we are still debating these same issues and the government can’t tell us how many additional Traveller accommodation units were delivered last year and how many will be delivered this year.

“The government has made no progress on bringing forward the planning changes that would make the biggest difference in terms of the delivery of accommodation.

“We need to see changes made to the Part 8 and the land disposal measures in order to remove the barriers that currently exist in terms of the delivery of homes for Travellers.

“More than two years on from the publication of this report we have yet to see any progress on these planning issues and this is deeply disappointing.”