Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998

Amendment of section 13 of Act of 1988.

29.—Section 13 of the Act of 1988 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following section for section 13:

“Provision of sites for caravans.

13.—(1) This section applies to persons belonging to the class of persons who traditionally pursue or have pursued a nomadic way of life.

(2) A housing authority may provide, improve, manage and control sites for caravans used by persons to whom this section applies, including sites with limited facilities for the use by such persons otherwise than as their normal place of residence or pending the provision of permanent accommodation under an accommodation programme within the meaning of section 7 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, and may carry out any works incidental to such provision, improvement, management or control, including the provision of services for such sites.

(3) Section 56(2) of the Principal Act shall apply in connection with the provision of sites under this section as it applies in connection with the provision of dwellings under that section.

(4) A housing authority may, in respect of the use of a site provided by them under this section or of any service or facilities provided or made available in connection with such a site, make such charges as the housing authority see fit.

(5) Any charge due to a housing authority under subsection (4) shall be recoverable by them as a simple contract debt in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(6) The Minister may issue guidelines for the purpose of this section and a housing authority shall have regard to any such guidelines.

(7) In this section—

‘caravan’ means any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another, whether by towing or transport on a vehicle or trailer, and includes a motor vehicle so designed or adapted and a mobile home, but does not include a tent;

‘sites with limited facilities’ means sites which, having regard to the temporary nature of such sites or the short duration of periods of use, have sufficient water, facilities for solid and liquid waste disposal and hard surface parking area for caravans.”.