A TOTAL OF €9 million will be made available this year for Traveller-specific accommodation, the Housing Department has announced.

Minister of State with responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English said today that a capital provision of €9 million will be made available for the delivery of Traveller accommodation.

This includes group housing and halting sites for Traveller families.

This is a €5.5 million increase on 2016 funding, Minister English said.

He said that “where schemes have commenced or new schemes are anticipated, funding will be made available to progress them”.

He said that the Government was “committed” to meeting the accommodation needs of Travellers.

The majority of this year’s funding will go towards schemes currently under construction as well as ones that have already been approved.

English said that the funding would “greatly contribute towards providing the Traveller community with culturally appropriate accommodation”.

”In addition to the Capital funding provided, my Department will also continue to provide current funding to local authorities for specific accommodation-related supports, such as social worker salaries and management and maintenance of halting sites and group housing,” said English.

Earlier this year, the State took the historic step of recognising Traveller ethnicity, after years of campaigning by concerned groups.

Read: Travellers left outside Leinster House in the rain as Taoiseach recognises their ethnicity

Read: ‘He walks with his head down. No more’ – Taoiseach recognises Traveller ethnicity in the Dáil

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