THE former Limerick City Council has been highlighted as one of five local authorities that recorded a significant shortfall in failing to meet its Traveller accommodation targets.
A study compiled by the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) of the implementation of Traveller Accommodation Programmes by 34 county and city councils between 2009 and 2013 found that just nine local authorities met their targets for the provision of Traveller accommodation.
Limerick City, along with Sligo, Fingal, Roscommon and South Tipperary, were the least successful at achieving the targets they set.
The former city council had set out to build 35 units between 2009 and 2013, however just 14 were delivered, leaving a shortfall of 60 per cent.
Faring significantly better, the former Limerick County Council delivered 54 out of the 65 units it pledged to build over the same period, representing a shortfall of only 17 per cent.
According to the ITM figures, Limerick County Council was among the local authorities with the highest number of Travellers living on temporary or in unauthorised sites.
Travellers living in Limerick County, along with Wexford, Dublin City and Kildare, were most likely to contact the ITM seeking support on housing issues such as eviction, homelessness, and a change of accommodation for health reasons.
The City and County Councils amalgamated in June 2014 and the new local authority is required to develop a Traveller accommodation plan every five years.
They can then apply to the Department of Environment to develop approved sites.
