A report by the European Committee of Social Rights has found that the accommodation provided for Travellers and many halting sites in Ireland are in poor condition. The report also found that the legal safeguards for members of the Traveller community threatened with eviction were inadequate.

In 2013 a complaint was lodged with the committee by the European Roma Rights Centre. The complaint said that Ireland was in breach of the European Social Charter in relation to the standard of accommodation and housing rights for Travellers.

The committee has ruled unanimously that there is a violation of Article 16 of the charter on the grounds of the insufficient provision of Traveller accommodation.

The committee also found a substantial shortfall of halting sites, with only 54 operating out of the 1,000 that were identified as being needed back in 1995.

It found that halting sites were in poor condition, lacked maintenance and were badly located. There were also problems with a lack of water, poor refuse collection and problems with damp, flooding and sewage.

The report also found that Ireland was in breach of Article 16 over allegations of the forced evictions of Travellers.

The report said those facing eviction were not given sufficient information or legal notice, were not  provided with alternative accommodation. The committee acknowledged that the Government disputed this.

The body will now discuss the findings with a view to adopting a formal resolution against Ireland on the issue.

On D.15 Today, Bernard Joyce, a member of the Irish Traveller Network said there has been, “a systematic failure” of providing Traveller accommodation in Ireland. He went on to say that the accommodation provided was “deteriorating and poorly managed.” He also said that the conditions some of the travelling community are living in is “substandard” and the conditions are “inhumane.”

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said he will be pressing the Government to take urgent action on the matter. Speaking at Stormont, Mr Adams said he had arranged to meet the minister for housing to discuss the issue.