The halting site in Carrickmines at the weekend, following a fatal fire which claimed ten lives
Kitty Holland (“Councils must do more for Travellers after fire”, Analysis, October 12th) lists the failure of local authorities across the State to make progress in relation to the provision of decent accommodation for Travellers.
I worked for two years as manager of the Southside Travellers Action Group and the problems listed by your reporter correspond almost exactly with those we faced 15 years ago. There is one key difference, however. At that time, no funds of any substance were provided by central government to local authorities for Traveller accommodation.
Successful lobbying by Traveller organisations, such as the Irish Traveller Movement and Pavee Point, resulted in a change in the funding approach by central government around 2006. Money was made available to local authorities.
Since then, shamefully, over €50 million allocated by the Department of the Environment for Traveller Accommodation remains unspent. €50 million!
The need for decent accommodation is obvious and the pictures and stories emerging from the tragedy in Carrickmines are clear proof of the need for radical action.
Local authorities that fail to spend their allocated budgets in this regard should face penalties and those councillors who continue to oppose Traveller accommodation plans should be shown the door at the next local elections.Are we going to allow another generation of Traveller children to grow up in these conditions or are we going to attempt to create a fairer society for all of our children?
Aodh O’Connor
Perrystown,
Dublin 12.
Meanwhile, on Morning Ireland this morning, Tánaiste Joan Burton said:
“Can I appeal to all members of local authorities right around the country to please use the funds which have been made available by central government to local authorities for Traveller accommodation. Some local authorities, including the local authority where this dreadful tragic fire [in Carrickmines] took place, those funds have actually not been used. If the funds are use, I can say there will be an undertaking to provide additional funds.”
Local authorities and Travellers (Irish Times)
Previously: Halting Funding
Heard The One About Local Authorities Refusing Money?
Rollingnews.ie
The cronies are missing a trick here, 50m divided up among FG/Lab cronies to throw up crap houses must be very tempting , the fact that they haven’t appropriated the money might show how little they want to help the travellers , and thats saying something if ideology/racism trumped greed this time …
I’m sick of this racism crap being throwing around with regard to travellers. How is it racist to want people loving beside you because of genuine fears the area will be wrecked. As for the traveller groups where’s their mention of all chaos most traveller groups cause.
sorry Not want people living beside you*
As a citizen of this republic you have rights for sure, and you are far better able to articulate your need to have them met than travellers are , you are not in a minority, however you do have responsibilities as a citizen too , and one of them is not loudly expressing you own personal fears about a minority group( fellow citizens), when its clear to people with more experience of the traveller community that they are not all the same…
I cant see people protesting people from Co. Louth moving into their area because Gardai are murdered in Louth…
So one of you responsibilities as a citizen is – “not loudly expressing you own personal fears about a minority group”
I thought I had read the instructions but I can’t find that one anywhere. are you making it up for a giggle?
Iv plenty of experience with travellers, More than most. Iv seen with my eyes the chaos they cause. And let’s get this straight right now, they are NOT A MINORITY group, they like to call them selves one but their not. They openly wreck the area they live in.
I don’t want people loving beside me at all thanks. I have genuine fears of getting love goo on me.
I was going to correct the mistake but it was to funny. I thought I’d get more remarks about it by now.
So you think the stories of fly tipping, burglary, crime etc are all just made up?
Sounds like maybe this job should be taken away from the council’s and given to a body less subject to local politics.
Democracy can be such a bind in fairness – I was only talking to my m8 EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, the other day. She said she was sick of it as well.
That Cecilia’s a mad bitch altogether though.
A bit of domination, can be fun, in fairness
Afaik, in a democratic republic like ours we elect people to serve the needs of the wider community by not having people left destitute – even if some perceive it to be a minor inconvenience.
“Afaik, in a democratic republic like ours we elect people to serve the needs of the wider community”……
1) Who is Afaik?
2) We don’t do we? We can elect whoever is standing, for whatever reason, there’s no rule book. And usually we elect the candidate who we believe would best serve our interests, though we may choose to elect someone to serve the needs of the “wider community” – our choice completely.
Sorry that you don’t seem to understand the rules, a “minor inconvenience”, you should educate yourself about.
What, like a Council of Elders who cast runes and draw auguries from chicken bones? Sure, why not.
Directed @ underscore, 9.18am
Should be penalised if they don’t spend their allocation. What madness. What better way to end up with a load of junk that’s neither use nor ornament.
I suppose you could make the Keynesian argument that public spending stimulates the economy. However getting some Traveller facilities that are actually worthy of use, rather than throwing up ****, on a budget, might seem a more reasonable way of spending money.
Don’t see why any money should be spend on them at all. Every halting site I’ve ever seen is a mess. When people get stuff for free they don’t value it and that is often true in any part society.
true that.
Could those good people out fixing things up for refugees in Calais swing by Carrickmines on the way back ? Some of our own non-nationals need proper, fire proof accommodation. Might be hard to get volunteers, but you never know. Neighbours already objecting.
Any chance of some sort of visionary government policy incorporating the enforcement of local laws and ordinances, improved education and job opportunities, a flexible approach to to the migratory tendencies of travellers with local and traveller consultation to create workable solutions and compromises, as well as local and Garda outreach programs to forge lasting bonds between the communities, perhaps some sort of local/traveller body or set of bodies to deal with complaints about anti-social behaviour, reducing hostility and resentment and increasing personal investment by travellers in a country that has treated them like shite on its shoe since its conception? It would take years to implement, perhaps decades to pay off, so it’s a long, hard grind, but worth it if it works? No? We’ll just kick hapless local authorities until they squirt out something stupid and ramshackle and temporary, so.
In answer to the first part of your question – No.
It’s a sin of both wasted opportunity and wasted money.
You’ve seen the “direct provision” camps, on Broadsheet, they look like luxury compared to the squalor of the place that got burned out FFS.
“What you were brought up in direct provision m8? – You had it lucky you toff”.
Great comments Nigel.