Powers would have to be used in many areas of the country requiring county managers to ensure that local authorities had housing programmes for travellers, said Ms Helen Keogh (PD).
Obliging managers to act where councils failed to adopt programmes was, unfortunately, a necessary safeguard, she believed. Ms Keogh stressed that the comprehensive consultation process involving all interest groups, as laid down in the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Bill, was critical to having such programmes implemented.
Mr Robert Molloy (PD), the Minister of State for housing, said the Bill's objective was to boost the rate at which this accommodation was provided.
There had been a worrying increase in traveller families on the roadside or in unofficial encampments - 1,127 families last November.
The Bill would require local authorities, in consultation with travellers, to adopt five-year programmes to meet the needs of travellers in their areas. It would allow public input in preparing such programmes. A national traveller accommodation consultative committee would be established and local authorities would have to set up local committees on which council members, officials and travellers would be represented.
Relevant provisions of the 1997 Housing Act would be applied to control anti-social behaviour on halting sites.
If councillors failed in their duty, the manager would have to step in. "I know these are strong measures but I expect you will agree that the situation on the ground as shown in the recently published returns for housing authorities merits such action."
Mr Molloy said he wanted to see the voluntary sector playing a greater role in the provision of purpose-built accommodation for travellers.
Mr Joe Doyle (FG) said unfortunately it was more difficult to get suitable accommodation for travellers in the Dublin area, because of the lack of open space and the almost total objection to traveller settlement from the settled community. "I believe that the major religious orders who have substantial land holdings in the city should make some of their land available for traveller accommodation."
The Bill's success would depend on the goodwill of the settled community, he maintained. If the measures were to succeed they would have to be adopted by courageous politicians at local level.
"I believe the travelling community have a right to share in the economic wealth that this country is enjoying at the present time and the first objective in that direction must be to provide them with proper housing," he added.