THE reality of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's settlement programme for travelling people is a complete disaster, the council was told last night.
Suggesting a new approach by promoting one family sites, Councillor Olivia Mitchell said the present policy of multi family sites "is going absolutely nowhere".
She also pointed to delays with every scheme presently planned. "Is it not time to look at what we are doing wrong and see that this policy is going absolutely nowhere? If we are to house the families that are on the roadside we have to be able to assure the local residents that we can control the horses, the smoke, the trading and the litter. This we cannot do," she said.
However, the county housing manager, Mr Liam Byrne, said any reduction in either the number of halting sites or the number of families proposed for sites would have "grave consequences for the housing of travellers.
Mr Byrne said he was convinced that in time the council could overcome residents' opposition and delays associated with the programme.
A motion proposed by Ms Mitchell to reduce the number of families planned for a halting site at Bird Avenue, Clonskeagh, from five to three, was defeated on a vote by councillors present.