Irish Travellers Movement

Section Two

Framework for Traveller Tenant Participation

A framework for Traveller tenant participation is been consolidated at a national, county/city and local level as follows:

National level through the establishment of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. This committee comprises representatives of the:

    * Irish Traveller Movement
    * National Traveller Womens Forum
    * Pavee Point
    * The County and City Managers Association,
    * County councilors
    * Department of the Environment and Local Government
    * Department of Justice, Equality and Law reform.

NTACC role is to monitor the preparation, adequacy and implementation of the local accommodation programmes and to advise the minister on the most appropriate measures for improving consultation with Traveller interests and Traveller tenant participation at a local level in the design and management of accommodation.

County/City level, through the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees operating in each local authority (LTACC) and Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs). These committees comprise elected representatives and officials of the local authorities, Travellers and Traveller organisations. The role of LTACC is to advise in relation to the preparation and implementation of a Traveller accommodation programme for the functional area of the appointing local authority concerned and to advise on the management of accommodation for Travellers. The experience of having an independent chair in the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee has proven to be very helpful, consideration should be given to the appointment of independent chairs for the LTACCs. The local government reform structures such as the Strategic Policy Committees, once fully operational, will provide additional structures for the development of tenant participation strategies.

Local level, through the implementation of the Pilot Initiatives for the Management of Traveller Accommodation. The aim of the scheme is to encourage initiatives, which bring about new relationships between Travellers and local authorities for the management of Traveller accommodation. It is envisaged that the scheme should encourage and promote greater participation of Travellers in management of their own accommodation.

Components needed to establish Traveller Tenant Participation

Key Players

* Local Authority Officials from the Housing, Community and Planning Departments whose role is to provide expertise on a range of issues such as planning, refurbishment issues, design features etc. and give clarity on their role as the landlord on issues of allocation and management. It is important that the personnel attending have the power and knowledge to make decisions as the need arises.
* Traveller tenants and prospective Traveller tenants whose role is to provide specific knowledge on issues as they arise in relation to their accommodation in a collective way.
* Traveller organizations are organised with a membership of Travellers and 'Settled' people seeking to work together as equal partners and can also be organized with a membership made up solely of Travellers. Their role is to create a forum where Travellers can come together to formulate their interests and needs and define a policy agenda that reflects these. They have a key function in the development of collective responses to Traveller tenant issues and representing the collective voice of Traveller on issues.

Resources

* the local authority should be in a position to restructure its existing staff and resources to best engage with the partnership and tenant participation approach.
* Traveller organisations should be in a position to employ at least one accommodation worker in each county and city area to support the participation of Traveller interests in the process.
* A budget for in programme costs including meeting costs, training courses, information costs should be available
* The Department of the Environment and Local Government in consultation with the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee should ensure that a scheme is put in place to make available the level of resources needed to implement the initiatives.