Kildare's Spending On Traveller Accommodation Tops €1.7m In Five Years

Wednesday, 17 April 2024 16:55

By Martin Osborne

James Stokes, local election candidate for the Newbridge LEA, said he welcomes the spend but more needs to be done.

Over €1.7m has been spent on traveller accommodation in Kildare over the past five years.

In 2018, Kildare's drawdown for traveller accommodation was €29,510.

The subsequent year saw a significant increase in accommodation spending, with drawdowns increasing to €360,231.

In 2020, during the height of the covid pandemic, drawdowns stood at €261,110.

The following year, 2021, drawdown figures remained relatively subdued at €32,588.

In 2022, however, the figure increased to €635,088.

In 2023, it stood at €416,518.

James Stokes, local election candidate for the Newbridge LEA, said he welcomes the spend but more needs to be done.

Speaking to Kfm, he reiterated calls for a traveller mental health strategy.

He believes spend on traveller mental health and accommodation is not being prioritised by the Government.

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