The recent assessment of Traveller Accommodation Needs carried out by Sligo Local Authorities indicates that there are approximately 87 Traveller families living in County Sligo. The requirements imposed on Sligo Local Authorities under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 (subsequently referred to as the1998 Act) ensures that significant steps will be taken to resolve the Traveller accommodation issue within the County.
Sligo Local Authorities adopted a Traveller Accommodation Programme in 2005 in respect of the period ended 31st December 2008. It is now necessary to prepare and adopt a new programme to cover the period 2009 - 2013.
The purpose of the 1998 Act and the Accommodation Programme is to put into place the necessary procedures, measures, resources and facilities which are required to successfully accommodate Travellers in a manner, which will address all concerns relating to the provision of accommodation. Under this Act, responsibility for implementing the Traveller Accommodation Programme for the County of Sligo falls to Sligo Local Authorities. The adoption, amendment or replacement of the proposed Accommodation Programme is a function for the Council Members.
The steps which will be taken by Sligo Local Authorities, in co-operation with the other agencies within the County, over four years to accommodate Travellers are detailed in this Traveller Accommodation Programme for the period 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2013. The Accommodation Programme for Traveller families residing in County Sligo has been prepared following:
There are many issues, such as education, training etc. which must be tackled in conjunction with the provision of Traveller accommodation in order to successfully implement the Accommodation Programme. It will require changes in attitudes and acceptance of different lifestyles from all parties involved, from those providing the accommodation and those requiring it, to members of Local Communities in areas close to the accommodation.
The provision of adequate accommodation, as outlined in the programme, will not be achieved quickly or easily. However, it is essential that the process commences throughout County Sligo immediately in order to make progress to resolve the problems arising from the current lack of suitable accommodation.
The existing locations of Traveller families who are living on serviced Halting Sites and in private rented accommodation highlight the urgent need for suitable accommodation for many of these families. The numbers of families currently residing in the Council’s functional area, their current locations and the range of their accommodation is outlined in Table 1.
| Standard Local Authority/ Voluntary | Living on Halting Site | Sharing with Family | Roadside / Emergency / Mobile | Private Rented | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sligo Borough Council | 17 & 2 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 53 |
| Sligo Local Authorities | 8 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 34 |
| Total | 27 | 27 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 87 |
27 Families living in Standard Local Authority Accommodation / Voluntary Housing
27 families living on official Halting Sites
6 Families in overcrowded conditions in houses with relatives
14 families in private rented accommodation
11 Families in roadside or emergency / mobile accommodation
87 Families in Total
The following tables set out a breakdown of the results of the most recent Assessment of Traveller Accommodation Needs for Sligo County and Borough.
| Borough | County | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Families | 53 | 34 | 87 |
| Total Number Assessment Returns | 40 | 22 | 62 |
| Non Compliance Refusals | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| Non responsive to assessment / Not contactable for assessment |
4 | 6 | 10 |
| Numbers currently seeking Housing | 38 | 21 | 59 |
| Accommodation Sought | Number of Family Units |
|---|---|
| Local Authority Standard Housing |
21 12 have expressed preference for Borough Council area 9 for a preference for the County area. |
| Group Housing Scheme for particular family group. Family group did not comply with the assessment of needs. (Notional assessment from previous discussions) |
9 |
| Specific Instance Special needs | 3 |
| Permanent Site accommodation | 2 |
| Specific Instance / Standalone | 3 |
| Accommodation Sought | Number of Family Units |
|---|---|
| Local Authority Standard Housing |
6 (2 wish to be accommodated in the Borough area) |
| Group Housing Scheme One group of 7 families did not comply with the assessment of needs. (Notional assessment from previous discussions) |
9 |
| Specific Instance Special needs | 1 |
| Permanent Site accommodation | 1 |
| Specific Instance / Stand alone house | 4 |
As can be seen from the above tables, the majority of first preferences are for standard local authority houses (either new build or second hand). In the County, there is a trend for families seeking provision of specific instance stand alone housing. In the context of the Assessment, 11 families stated a preference for specific instance housing of which 4 would have special needs that may need special provisions. In both authorities, preferred locations were mostly influenced by a wish to be near relatives but it is also a requirement of applicants to be located with easy access to all utilities, services and schools in the location of their choice.
In the Borough, the majority of families explicitly stated that they did not wish to be housed in the Cranmore area and the majority of first preferences relate to Ballytivnan, Sea Road and Rathbraughan. In the County, the majority of first preferences of location were Tubbercurry, Ballymote and Ballisodare/Collooney. As with previous Assessments, a number of families either refused to co-operate with the Assessment or were un-contactable. One such family grouping in the Borough, who are seeking a 9 unit group housing scheme, are not reflected in the above returns as they declined to participate in the actual Assessment. Furthermore, it should be noted that, since the 2003 Assessment was carried out, a number of families (including two substantial family groupings) have left Sligo for other counties.
Young traveller couples and families formerly living with housed family members or in a combination of caravans and relatives houses in estates are now in private rented accommodation. This reflects a national trend for traveller accommodation. Private rented has also been the preferred accommodation for extended family members of Sligo relatives, who are returning from England and other Counties to settle again in Sligo (currently 6 – 8. families).
In the County, the figures show a slight decrease in the number of families relative to the 2003 Assessment figure of 38 families. Currently, there are 34 families in the County area. One family group who have previously sought a group scheme declined to comply with the assessment but in conversation are maintaining their desire to be considered for a group scheme of 6 units in the Collooney or West Sligo areas.
As you will see from the following table, there is quite a large population of young travellers under 18 years of age. This gives the local authorities an insight into the numbers of families who may be seeking housing in the future. The TAP 2005-2008 projected an estimated number of 3 couples per annum marrying in each of the local authority areas. Taking the number of marriages for 2007, these figures have proven accurate. It is therefore appropriate that the population of Traveller families would be projected to grow by 6 families per year during the next Traveller Accommodation Programme.
Table 3 Unmarried Traveller Population Figures
The locations of the proposed accommodation will be based on the existing locations of Traveller families, their native areas and their preferred choices of location where possible, however it may not always be possible to accommodate Traveller families in there preferred areas and therefore families may have to look at other location options in consultation with the Local Authority.
The assessment of the accommodation needs of the indigenous Traveller families residing in the Council’s functional area, indicates that accommodation is now required for 59 families in order to cater for these needs. Taking into consideration the age profile of existing travellers and the rate of new family formations in the county, it is expected that an additional 30 new families will require accommodation during the period of the programme.
Overall 89 families will require permanent accommodation during the lifetime of the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2009 - 2013. It is expected that newly formed travellers households will make suitable arrangements for their accommodation pending the provision of accommodation by the Local Authority. It is proposed in consultation with other agencies to examine ways in which difficulties experienced by traveller families in accessing private rented accommodation can be overcome.
The unauthorised parking of caravans will not be tolerated by the Council as the practice has a negative effect on the implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Programme.
Sligo Local Authorities will continue to consult with individual traveller families and traveller support groups with a view to identifying the most appropriate accommodation for individual families. The provision of Local Authority housing will be the main focus of the Programme for 2009 - 2013. Halting Site accommodation will be provided as a transitional measure where desired. Other social housing options, such as the Shared Ownership Scheme, Affordable Housing Scheme and Council Loan Scheme will also be promoted amongst members of the Travelling Community.
The following specific proposals will be addressed during the period of the programme.
The Traveller Accommodation Act, 1998 requires the Council to have regard to “the provision of sites to address the accommodation needs of Travellers other than as their normal place of residence and having regard to the annual patterns of movement by Travellers”.
The Sligo local authorities will within the life of this programme have available suitable facilities for transient families which will include providing one transient halting site in the Borough area and one in the County area These sites will seek primarily to accommodate transient families but may also be used to facilitate indigenous transient families.