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Dáil
‹ Other Questions. - Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Bill, 1998: Report Stage (Resumed).

Statutory limit on time in limited sites

Summary

Howlin criticised leaving important housing protections to regulations and guidelines, arguing that the law should prevent families from remaining for years on sites with limited facilities.

I am not surprised, but I am disappointed the Minister of State has not changed tack since Committee Stage. My strong personal view, which I indicated, is that a good deal of important work is taken from primary statute law and put into regulations and guidelines, subject to the drafting skills of civil servants but not amenable to discussion in this House in the normal course of events. It is our duty to set the law. That is what we are elected to do. If we believe people should not be accommodated on such sites with limited basic facilities for years on end, then we should state in the law that this is our intention. The guidelines are all well and good and, as section 29(6) states, the Minister may issue guidelines and the housing authority shall have regard to such guidelines, but in terms of real effect unless we put a binding legislative provision in place in that regard, they are legislatively meaningless. The points made by Deputy Higgins and me are important and basic and I will press my amendments.

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