Rodents, mould and fire safety still an issue at city halting sites

Overcrowding; rat infestations; damp and mould; inadequate sanitation and poor access to basic facilities – all still major issues affecting Traveller accommodation in Galway, according to a new report.

The Traveller Homes Now Progress Report launched by the Galway Traveller Movement in NUI Galway this week highlights a continued lack of action on the delivery of Traveller accommodation.

Ten halting sites located in the city that were assessed were found to have made no progress or limited progress to improve the dire conditions that Travellers had to endure – and in most cases the situation had actually deteriorated – since the first report was issued last July.

Tenants identified twelve breaches of the Human Rights Standards outlined by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

“The Traveller community continue to live in deplorable conditions which deny their right to adequate accommodation. This includes overcrowding, structural issues, rat infestations, damp and mould, inadequate sanitation and access to basic facilities.

“The findings show that the local authorities are in breach of their obligations under international human rights and national standards for adequate accommodation. There are varying degrees of progress across Galway City and County, with some of the worst cases found in Galway City,” the report states.

Bridget Kelly of the Galway Traveller Movement said despite careful documentation of conditions and the report’s identification of reasonable steps to improve the situation, almost nothing has progressed.

“In fact, in many cases, things have got worse,” she exclaimed.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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