By Miriam Bell from NICVA
Published on 27 Jan 2005
NICVA's response to the Department of Social Development's consultation and equality impact assessment on the proposal for control of unauthorised encampments.
The consultation envisages giving the PSNI more powers to remove trespassers. Most unauthorised encampments involve Travellers, a community with wholly inadequate accommodation.
The Department has tried to use the good intentions of the Housing Order 2003 to argue that future Housing Executive plans for Traveller accommodation will overcome this problem. The Department claims that there is no evidence of differential impact on Travellers within the Section 75 categories, which is clearly outrageous when no evidence has been sought because Travellers in these groups have not been consulted.
Therefore, NICVA calls for the Department to go back to the drawing board and ensure the participation of Travellers. Among its recommendations, NICVA has pointed to the Council of Europe report 2003, 'The Movement of Travellers in Council of Europe Member States'.
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