Laois achieving targets to provide Traveller accommodation

Laois is on target to deliver accommodation to its Traveller residents, according to a new report.

Laois County Council has carried out a review on its four year Traveller Accommodation Programme, and found it is exceeding the targets it set back in 2019 for providing homes.

The council had set a target in the 2019 - 2024 plan to provide 37 standard local authority houses, and an extra three bays at the only Portlaoise halting site, Oak Park on the Knockmay Road. 

Angela McEvoy is the Director of Services for Housing.

"The programme has targets and objectives. The Department of Housing asked us to review it after two years as is normally done. We have already achieved a lot of our targets. There are 37 units already achieved in providing housing for the Traveller population.

"We have over delivered on our accommodation, we had 37 to achieve, we now have 50. The refurbishment of Oak Park should be completed by the end of 2024. We're on target," Ms McEvoy said.

She gave the update to the October meeting of Laois County Council, asking that the programme be approved to continue into next year unchanged.

Reviews were carried last July and last November, in conjunction with Laois Traveller Action Group. 

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They had assessed the current needs of 21 Traveller families living in Laois, and all 21 had expressed a preference to get a standard local authority house. 

One other family requested 'single instance housing' and this house is in the process of being bought by the council.

"This will facilitate the transfer of four families in standard local authority housing, in need of a transfer on the grounds of disability, overcrowding and downsizing," the review states.

The program was proposed by Cllr Paschal McEvoy and seconded by Cllr John King.