Cork Traveller halting site ‘chronically overcrowded’

The Chairman of the Oireachtas Housing Committee has conceded that living conditions are far below what is deemed acceptable at a Cork halting site where families live without proper sanitation or reliable access to running water.

Cork Traveller Women’s Network (CTWN) and the Traveller Visibility Group (TVG) have called for the development of quality, long-term, culturally appropriate accommodation for families living at the Spring Lane halting site.

The groups described Spring Lane as “chronically overcrowded”, with more than 30 families occupying a space initially built for 10.

“While some very necessary emergency work was carried out over the last year, a long-term plan to deal with this crisis is essential.

“The reality of life on Spring Lane site is that many families remain without water or toilets, some continue to live in old damp mobile homes, all families live with daily overcrowding, and the almost 100 children on site continue to have no safe place to play.

Life expectancy

“People’s health, mental health and life expectancy are suffering as a result of this,” the Traveller groups said.

Committee chairman, Fianna Fáil TD John Curran TD, who visited the site on Monday, said the facilities were poor.

“I was also in another halting site, St Anthony’s Park, and it was a fabulous development. By comparison it shows what can be done. It is a road map of what we need to do.”

Cork City Council have drawn up a report on Spring Lane and former junior minister Kathleen Lynch has been asked to chair an inter-agency group to look at the issues facing residents.

Last year a documentary was made about the appalling conditions on-site. The residents joined forces with Framework Films to show, in their own words, what life is like on the site.

There are 34 families living in the overcrowded 10-bay site in Ballyvolane on the north side of Cork city.