Local Councils Accommodated 665 Traveller Families in 2025 Against 726 Target
Saturday 19 September 2026
Local authorities fell short of their annual Traveller accommodation targets for 2025, providing homes for 665 families against a target of 726, according to the Department of Housing.
Irish local authorities accommodated 665 Traveller families in 2025 against a target of 726, the Department of Housing has confirmed.
Speaking before the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, Mr. David Kelly, assistant secretary at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, outlined that the majority of these placements were achieved through standard and voluntary housing, alongside HAP supports. In contrast, 88 families were accommodated in Traveller-specific accommodation.
The figures reflect the first full year of the current five-year Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs), which run from 2025 to 2029. Under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, local authorities hold statutory responsibility for assessing accommodation needs and implementing these multi-annual programmes.
To improve delivery, Mr. Kelly noted that the Department has implemented social housing assessment regulations featuring a Traveller identifier, aimed at generating better data for TAPs and target setting. Additionally, the Housing Agency has completed a research paper exploring how local Traveller accommodation consultative committees can improve engagement with local authorities.