by Sarah Clancy | Oct 17, 2017 | Current, Housing, Local Community Development Committee, Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, PPN News, SPC for Social Development
Clare Public Participation Network Statement: Date: 17/10/2017
Clare PPN calls for emergency plan to be put in place for roadside-dwelling Travellers during weather alerts.
Clare Public Participation Network’s Social Inclusion Representatives commend Clare County Council and the county’s emergency services for their swift actions and clear and frequent updates during the status red weather alert which accompanied ex hurricane Ophelia on the 15th of October. It came to the representatives’ attention however that there had been no provisions made to ensure the safety of the members of the Traveller community who live on the roadside in temporary dwellings. People contacting the Council’s emergency number were advised that no plan was in place for roadside dwelling Travellers and that they should ‘stay put’ until the storm abated. Clare PPN calls on the Council management and on elected representatives to ensure that a contingency plan is immediately put in place for any future such weather events which would at a minimum offer temporary secure shelter to all of those who need it. Clare PPN’s Social Inclusion Representatives are concerned that a failure to do this could result in injuries or fatalities which could be prevented by advance planning and so it calls on all those responsible to take action before the winter sets in fully.
Signed:
Mary O’Donoghue, Local Community Development Committee.
Sarah Clancy, Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee.
Dermot Hayes, Social Development Strategic Policy Committee.
George Atijohn, Clare Public Participation Network Secretariat.
Damon Matthew Wise Âû, Physical Development Strategic Policy Committee.
Details: Enquiries about anything to do with Clare PPN can be directed to sarah@clareppn.ie or 087 1617375.
Notes:
Clare PPN is a network of community, voluntary, environmental and social inclusion groups from Clare. It exists to facilitate the formal participation by the community sector in Clare County Council’s decision making structures. It is funded jointly by the Department of Community and Rural Development and Clare County Council but is autonomous and its activities are directed by its members through an elected secretariat.
Clare PPN’s website is www.clareppn.ie and they are on twitter @clare_ppn and https://facebook.com/clareppn/
by Sarah Clancy | Sep 20, 2017 | Current, Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Members News, PPN News
Report from Sarah Clancy Clare PPN’s representative on Clare County Council’s Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee of meeting of September 19th 2017
Chair Mike McKee welcomed Siobhan Mulcahy to the role of representing Clare County Council’s Social Development Directorate on the LTACC. Siobhan took over from Sean Lenihan who has been moved.
Several actions which had been discussed at previous meetings were again discussed here and decisions were made as follows:
Traveller Needs Analysis: It was agreed by the LTACC that Sarah Clancy should investigate how Traveller Needs Analysis for other counties were carried out and at what cost. Following this she will report back via email to the chair and Siobhan Mulcahy and they will see if funding can be allocated or sourced elsewhere for this work to be carried out. The purpose of this project would be to make contact with all Travellers in Clare and to consult them as to their current and future housing needs and preferences and to ensure that all of those who are seeking accommodation from the Local Authority have applied through the correct channels in order to be considered for it and if not that they would be assisted to do so.
Sanitation for Roadside Sites: It was decided that the community, Traveller and Councillor representatives on this committee would once again make a request by letter to the CE of Clare County Council Pat Dowling, that provisions should be made for sanitation, waste disposal and electricity for Travellers currently living in unofficial sites around the county with particular reference to the onset of winter. Cllr Mike McKee is to draft this letter with the assistance of Bernie McDonagh.
It was decided that Sarah Clancy would write to the new traveller led Approved Housing Body CENA and invite them to present to Clare LTACC.
It was noted that due to the current market, relying on the private sector to provide housing for the Traveller community is not feasible or likely to be successful and on that basis it was agreed that a discussion about the possibility of using ethnic identifiers for Travellers applying for housing and the possibility of investigating whether a ‘positive discrimination’ approach where approved housing bodies working with Clare County Council could be requested/required and funded to provide Traveller specific or quotas for Travellers should take place at the next meeting.
The next meeting was scheduled for November 7th.