Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We on this side of the table in this committee know what, in our view, needs to be done, and we set that out in our report. I refer to direct political action. We need to provide the accommodation. The vast majority of it will have to be provided by local authorities on behalf of the State.

There are enough recommendations on Travellers to fill Leinster House. I am not really that interested in more recommendations or reports because we have gone down that route many times. Other than making recommendations, what instruments of actual action does the IHREC have to force the hand of Government if it feels it is not complying with even the existing law?

How many of the barriers to suitable accommodation that Travellers face are also part of a wider problem we face as a society, namely, our inability to provide enough accommodation for our population, settled or Traveller? We have brought so many constraints in on planning, which was touched on, and on getting things done, and so many ways for people to obstruct the provision of necessary housing.

Finally, on the issue of the kind of housing that suits Travellers best, I think we all agree it is a matter for Travellers themselves. I always respect the choice of the Traveller family or individual. Some choose standard housing. In my experience, many of the younger families in particular choose that. I know that in one case, they were all given a free choice and, within families, there was an intergenerational difference in their choices. I think we have to respect that. That seems to be in three broad sections. One is people living in standard housing on standard estates. Sometimes they want to live in close proximity to other Travellers and sometimes they do not. I was talking to a Traveller recently and we were filling out a form to stay on the housing list.

There was a box that asked whether you are a member of the Traveller community. This person knows that I know he is but he said he never put it down because he did not want to be labelled in that way. That was his choice. I was surprised but it was his choice. When it comes to housing, some want to fully integrate and some do not. That is within standard housing. In my experience, some want to live in fixed accommodation specially built in culturally appropriate settings, as they are defined. This would still be in the form of a permanent dwelling as opposed to a trailer or whatever. Some also want to live in trailers. We have to respect all of those choices and be non-directional as to which is better because it is an individual choice. We accept that. Sometimes we accept with the settled community that some want to live in rural houses and some do not. I very much resist the State's efforts to put us all into high-density areas away from our communities.

If we are talking about standard housing, I expect the same provision for people with disabilities as is provided for the settled community and I normally get it. However, anybody on a Traveller halting site looking for those same basic rights would not get them on the halting sites I know. They simply would not get accommodation suitable for people with disabilities, particularly physical disabilities. Those are my questions. I am sorry for putting so many of them.