Traveller Pride mural, St. Margaret ’ s Park Halting Site in Ballymun, Dublin A halting site (or a halting bay site) is purpose-built residential accommodation for Travellers provided by a local municipal authority. The halting site has an individual bay for each family unit with a full range of services provided in a small structure on each bay. Provision of Halting Sites by Local Authorities Accommodation for Travellers in Ireland Irish state policy for providing housing for the Travelling Community is laid out in legislation, the most recent being the 1998 Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act. This law outlines the 5-year rolling accommodation programmes required of each municipal authority to meet the existing and projected accommodation needs of Travellers in their areas. The Custom House, home to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government Other Accommodation Types for Travellers can include: Standard Local Authority Social Housing Traveller Group Housing RAS (abbrev for Rental Accommodation Scheme) & Leasing HAP (abbrev for Housing Assistance Payment) Voluntary Housing Rural Dwellings (not applicable in cities) Private Rented Accommodation an unauthorised encampment on public land 51° 16′ 33″ N, 1° 06′ 21″ W 16 March 2010 A halting site should not be confused with an encampment set up on private or public land (including highway verges and lay-bys) without the consent of the landowner. Due to these being unauthorised the people residing there are liable to eviction. These lack facilities and are referred to in official documents as "Temporary Dwellings". The provisions set out in the 1998 Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act contain strong powers for local authorities to deal with unauthorised temporary dwellings. There are penalties used to deal with illegal encampments, as outlined in relevant legislation. an encampment on a highway verge 16 March 2010 These laws include: Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948 Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 Section 10 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 as amended by Section 32 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998 Roads Act, 1993 Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994 (as amended) Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002 height restriction barricade to prevent encampments on public land 3 January 2009 The Housing Department in the Local Authority of each county implements the Traveller Accommodation Programme. This Traveller Accommodation Programme is determined by assessment of need in the local government ’ s administrative area, in accordance with the terms of the 1998 Act. Local authorities calculate the accommodation needs of Traveller households who are approved applicants for accommodation. This involves a census of the number of Travellers residing in the county towards the end of the calendar year. The assessment is done in consultation with the Travelling Community, Travellers’ Organisations, the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Public Representatives, the wider community and other Statutory and Voluntary Bodies. History of Halting Sites Introduction Historically, many Travellers resided in temporary camping sites located on roadsides. life on the road for Irish Travellers in the 1960’s These sites were often set up on land where ownership was unclear. This could be a section of a road that had been widened or straightened. Undeveloped building sites in urban or suburban areas were also used. A pilot scheme was introduced in Kent County in 1951 to provide a planned and equipped area for gypsies and travellers to reside instead of the unsuitable winter camping sites used previously. The site, called Chilmington Gypsy and Traveller Site, was developed approximately a mile from the village of Great Chart, which is located 2 miles (or 3.2 km) from the town of Ashford in Kent. On conclusion of the Chilmington Site pilot scheme the British Ministry of Housing and Local Government adopted as policy the construction of purpose-build Gypsy and Traveller Sites in every municipal area in the country. The policy was promoted as an alternative to the ad-hoc approach used hitherto of officials "moving people off one unauthorised site and leaving them to find another one". Chilmington Gypsy Site has expanded over the intervening decades in line with the expansion of Ashford itself. The Irish Commission on Itinerancy Similar to how the Beveridge Report in Britain inspired a change in social policy there, in Ireland there was a change in government approach from non-intervention. The changes were generally reflective of a paradigm shift in the Western hemisphere on the government ’ s role in society and economy. Beginning in the late 1950’s , the National Economic and Social Council (a government-appointed advisory body) produced a series of reports on economic and social matters. This marked a departure in the history of the Irish state, up to this point the government had simply deferred to the Catholic Church in the area of social welfare. Geographical Distribution in the Republic of Ireland The following is a sample of halting sites across Ireland Dublin Region Saint Margaret ’ s Park in Ballymun in Dublin city Booterstown Park in Blackrock in Dún Laoghaire Barnlodge in Cappagh Road in county Fingal Brookfield in Tallaght in south Dublin Traveller Pride sculpture. This effigy of a horse rearing up is located at Tattykeel group housing scheme outside Omagh in county Tyrone
Traveller Pride mural, St. Margaret ' s Park Halting Site in Ballymun, Dublin A halting site (or a halting bay site) is purpose-built residential accommodation for Travellers provided by a local municipal authority. The halting site has an individual bay for each family unit with a full range of services provided in a small structure on each bay. Provision of Halting Sites by Local Authorities Accommodation for Travellers in Ireland Irish state policy for providing housing for the Travelling Community is laid out in legislation, the most recent being the 1998 Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act. This law outlines the 5-year rolling accommodation programmes required of each municipal authority to meet the existing and projected accommodation needs of Travellers in their areas. The Custom House, home to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government Other Accommodation Types for Travellers can include: Standard Local Authority Social Housing Traveller Group Housing RAS (abbrev for Rental Accommodation Scheme) & Leasing HAP (abbrev for Housing Assistance Payment) Voluntary Housing Rural Dwellings (not applicable in cities) Private Rented Accommodation an unauthorised encampment on public land 51° 16′ 33″ N, 1° 06′ 21″ W 16 March 2010 A halting site should not be confused with an encampment set up on private or public land (including highway verges and lay-bys) without the consent of the landowner. Due to these being unauthorised the people residing there are liable to eviction. These lack facilities and are referred to in official documents as "Temporary Dwellings". The provisions set out in the 1998 Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act contain strong powers for local authorities to deal with unauthorised temporary dwellings. There are penalties used to deal with illegal encampments, as outlined in relevant legislation. an encampment on a highway verge 16 March 2010 These laws include: Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948 Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 Section 10 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 as amended by Section 32 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998 Roads Act, 1993 Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994 (as amended) Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002 height restriction barricade to prevent encampments on public land 3 January 2009 The Housing Department in the Local Authority of each county implements the Traveller Accommodation Programme. This Traveller Accommodation Programme is determined by assessment of need in the local government ' s administrative area, in accordance with the terms of the 1998 Act. Local authorities calculate the accommodation needs of Traveller households who are approved applicants for accommodation. This involves a census of the number of Travellers residing in the county towards the end of the calendar year. The assessment is done in consultation with the Travelling Community, Travellers’ Organisations, the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Public Representatives, the wider community and other Statutory and Voluntary Bodies. History of Halting Sites Introduction Historically, many Travellers resided in temporary camping sites located on roadsides. life on the road for Irish Travellers in the 1960s These sites were often set up on land where ownership was unclear. This could be a section of a road that had been widened or straightened. Undeveloped building sites in urban or suburban areas were also used. A pilot scheme was introduced in Kent County in 1951 to provide a planned and equipped area for gypsies and travellers to reside instead of the unsuitable winter camping sites used previously. The site, called Chilmington Gypsy and Traveller Site, was developed approximately a mile from the village of Great Chart, which is located from the town of Ashford in Kent. On conclusion of the Chilmington Site pilot scheme the British Ministry of Housing and Local Government adopted as policy the construction of purpose-build Gypsy and Traveller Sites in every municipal area in the country. The policy was promoted as an alternative to the ad hoc approach used hitherto of officials "moving people off one unauthorised site and leaving them to find another one". Chilmington Gypsy Site has expanded over the intervening decades in line with the expansion of Ashford itself. The Irish Commission on Itinerancy Similar to how the Beveridge Report in Britain inspired a change in social policy there, in Ireland there was a change in government approach from non-intervention. The changes were generally reflective of a paradigm shift in the Western hemisphere on the government ' s role in society and economy. Beginning in the late 1950s , the National Economic and Social Council (a government-appointed advisory body) produced a series of reports on economic and social matters. This marked a departure in the history of the Irish state, up to this point the government had simply deferred to the Catholic Church in the area of social welfare. Geographical Distribution in the Republic of Ireland The following is a sample of halting sites across Ireland Dublin Region Saint Margaret ' s Park in Ballymun in Dublin city Booterstown Park in Blackrock in Dún Laoghaire Barnlodge in Cappagh Road in county Fingal Brookfield in Tallaght in south Dublin Traveller Pride sculpture. This effigy of a horse rearing up is located at Tattykeel group housing scheme outside Omagh in county Tyrone
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1960’s
1960s
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2 miles (or 3.2 km)
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ad-hoc
ad hoc
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1950’s
1950s
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