The numbers of Traveller families taking up settled accommodation in Kilkenny is on the increase in recent years according to a local authority survey which was presented to the members of Kilkenny County Council as part of the quarterly Housing Report last week.
There were 155 Traveller families in the local authority area in settled accommodation in 2010 up from just 92 families in 2004. This is an increase of 74 per cent.
A record 42 of these families are in standard lettings, while a further 58 (eight times more than the number in 2004 or 866 per cent ) are resident in private rented accommodation.
The figures also indicated a 20 per cent increase in the number of families living in standard lettings but this figure does not accurately reflect either the number of families offered accommodation or those accommodated by the local authority.
In 2010 alone, a total of 15 offers of accommodation were made to Traveller families with only six of these families accepting the offer. Some four families then vacated the local authority accommodation during 2010.
Local authorities are now required to establish a Local Authority Accommodation Consultative Committee (LTACC ) to advise on the provision and management of Traveller accommodation Cllr Andrew McGuinness chairs the local committee in Kilkenny and the committee meets on a quarterly basis.
