Traveller housing costing Clare more than €12m

Spiralling legal and security costs associated with Traveller accommodation are contributing to Clare County Council spending over €12 million to accommodate 53 Traveller families in Clare, it emerged yesterday.

Presenting a statutory review of the council's five-year Traveller Accommodation Programme (TAP), director for housing Mr Tom Coughlan said the council is spending €12 million at various locations in Clare to accommodate the 53 families.

Mr Coughlan was speaking after the council received the go-ahead for two other halting sites by the Department of the Environment at a combined cost of €4.2 million to accommodate 12 Traveller families. The council commenced work earlier this month on a third site on the outskirts of Ennis for six families, costing €2.4 million.

Mr Coughlan pointed out that, within the past year, the council had been forced to engage in two High Court battles with residents and Travellers on the accommodation issue, costing the council almost €500,000 in legal fees.

Shocked council members were also told that it was costing €9,000 per month to provide 24-hour security at the temporary halting site in Ennis since it opened in March. Mr Coughlan said this level of security was being demanded by residents living near the council's permanent sites around Ennis.

He added: "There appears to be a public perception that the presence of Travellers in an area poses a security risk."

Commenting on the money spent in legal fees and security, Mr Coughlan stated that it would be much better if such funding could be spent on accommodating Travellers.