Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998

Preparation of accommodation programme.

10.—(1) An accommodation programme shall be prepared by a relevant housing authority in respect of a 5 year period beginning on a date as the Minister may by direction specify and be in such form and contain such information as the Minister may direct and thereafter shall be prepared in respect of each succeeding period of 5 years or each such shorter period as the Minister may direct, and shall be adopted by the relevant housing authority by such date as the Minister may direct or in accordance with section 17 .

(2) In preparing an accommodation programme, or a replacement of it, the relevant housing authority shall—

(a) include the most recent assessment made by that relevant housing authority under section 6 and any particulars concerning the accommodation needs of travellers in assessments made under section 9 of the Act of 1988,

(b) include such particulars as the Minister may direct in relation to travellers and contained in the most recent assessment made by a housing authority under section 9 of the Act of 1988, or, where the relevant housing authority is preparing an accommodation programme for the first time, such particulars concerning the needs of travellers for accommodation in sites as may be available to the relevant housing authority or as may be acquired by them as the Minister may direct,

(c) include a statement of the policy of the relevant housing authority concerned in relation to meeting the accommodation needs of travellers, including the accommodation needs referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b),

(d) specify the strategy of the relevant housing authority concerned for securing the implementation of the accommodation programme,

(e) include measures for implementation by the relevant housing authority concerned or, as the case may be, any other housing authority in relation to—

(i) the provision of the range of accommodation required to meet accommodation needs which have been identified,

(ii) the provision of assistance to travellers to provide accommodation for their own use,

(iii) the provision of assistance to a body standing approved under section 6 of the Act of 1992 in respect of the provision or management of accommodation for travellers, and

(iv) the proper management, including assistance towards the management, of such accommodation for travellers, and

(f) include any other matters as may be specified in directions issued from time to time by the Minister.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a relevant housing authority, in preparing an accommodation programme, shall have regard to—

(a) the needs identified under paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) and any matter which may be specified under paragraph (f) of subsection (2),

(b) the distinct needs and family circumstances of travellers,

(c) the provision of sites to address the accommodation needs of travellers other than as their normal place of residence and having regard to the annual patterns of movement by travellers, and

(d) such other matters as the Minister may by direction specify from time to time.

(4) A relevant housing authority may, having considered the submissions received in accordance with section 9 (1)(c), make such changes to the draft of the accommodation programme published in accordance with section 9 (1) or, where appropriate, the draft of the amendment to or replacement of the accommodation programme, as the relevant housing authority considers appropriate.