New five-year Kilkenny Traveller Housing Programme in the pipeline

Kilkenny County Council is preparing to launch a new five-year Traveller Accommodation Programme (TAP) for the period from 2025 to 2029.

The Traveller Accommodation Act requires the local authority in Kilkenny, and councils across the country. to provide a TAP every four years to cater for the housing needs of the Travelling community.

The programme has been in operation in five year cycles over the past number of years, with the 2014-19 cycle the last to be operational in its entirety without the complications and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As part of the preparation stage of the programme, public consultations which include Travellers, the settled community, statutory and non-governmental organisations that are interested in and/or offer support services to Travellers and other relevant stakeholders and bodies take place to identify housing issues and solutions for the period of the programme.

During the 2014-19 period, 90 Traveller families were provided with accommodation solutions from a total of 99 offers of accommodation made to local Traveller families.

The redevelopment of St Catherine’s Halting Site to a six house Group Housing Scheme and the acquisition of three properties for allocation to families whose accommodation needs had been highlighted in previous TAPs, but progress had been hindered due to difficulty in identifying and securing suitable accommodation in the area of their choice, were some of the other positive outcomes to arise from the programme during that timeframe.

The intention of the programme is to provide 'pro-active, inclusive and flexible approaches to meeting the challenge of providing accommodation for those in need of homes and providing support to those who can contribute to the provision of their own accommodation.'

Commenting ahead of the release of the new accommodation programme, a spokesperson for Kilkenny County Council, said: "We're committed to understanding and meeting the current and future needs of the Traveller community in our area. As part of this process, we’re conducting an 'Assessment of Need' and we want to hear from you (the public)."

A Draft Programme will be unveiled in the second half of 2024, with the deadline for submissions on Thursday, May 16, at 5pm.

Those who wish to participate can email submissions to: TAP@kilkennycoco.ie.

The Traveller Accommodation Plan is one of a number of housing initiatives in the pipeline for the local authority in the coming years, according to Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council, Lar Power.

Speaking to the Kilkenny People earlier this year, the council official claimed they intend to deliver an average of 176 social or affordable houses per year.

Mr Power also confirmed that Kilkenny County Council had the enabling infrastructure in the city to enable 2,800 homes and the infrastructure to provide 900 homes in the Loughmacask area of Kilkenny City.

Meanwhile, applications are currently open for the purchase of 10 homes under the Affordable Purchase Scheme in the city at Cluain Glasan on the Granges Road.