Gerry Adams critical of Louth County Council's Traveller Accommodation Programme

Louth TD Gerry Adams has criticised Louth County Council's Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019–2024 and has called on the Council to provide halting site accommodation within the county as well as additional council staff "to deal with the crisis in Traveller accommodation.”

The Sinn Féin TD has made a submission to Louth County Council’s consultation on its Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019–2024. In a statement released today Deputy Adams said:

“Louth County Council is eligible to receive substantial funding from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in order to provide Traveller specific accommodation.Yet it has repeatedly failed to request or draw down this dedicated, departmental financial support."

He continues: “In March 2017 Traveller ethnicity was formally recognised by this State.  This does not mean that Travellers have a separate identity but that they have a distinct identity which must be respected.

“The treatment of members of the Travelling Community by Louth County Council in the past has been shameful.

“Particularly the no warning eviction of families from the Woodland Park Halting Site in January 2016, with no alternative accommodation offered.

“I have examined Louth County Council’s proposed Traveller Accommodation Programme which will run from 2019 until 2024.

“It is simply not ambitious enough and in no way addresses the historic underinvestment by Louth County Council.

“Over the 5 year lifetime of the previous Traveller Accommodation Programme Louth County Council spent only €675,962 on Traveller accommodation.

Adams calls on Louth County Council to address the situation, saying:

“After the Woodland Park eviction the Council committed to the immediate development of two group housing schemes.

“This did not happen and there are now 30 families who have indicated a desire to live in a group housing scheme. The onus is on Louth County Council to provide this.

“Louth County Council also needs to provide halting site accommodation within the county and additional council staff should be allocated to deal with the crisis in Traveller accommodation", Deputy Adams concluded.