Clare County Council is to spend €400,000 on housing each Traveller family, as it seeks to get to grips with Clare's Traveller accommodation crisis, writes Gordon Deegan.
This figure emerged yesterday after the council signed a contract with a local developer to house six Traveller families on the outskirts of Ennis.
According to a council spokeswoman, the total cost of the project is €2.5 million and comprises six houses: five three bedroom bungalows and a four-bedroom house.
Each home comes with a separate stand-alone garage, while a caretaker's unit and play area are also provided.
The accommodation unit is one of seven units the council is seeking to develop around Ennis as part of its Traveller Accommodation Programme. Since 1997, Ennis has been without a permanent halting site, bringing about the accommodation crisis.
Overall, the estimated cost of providing accommodation for 42 Traveller families is put at €17.5 million.
The chairman of Ennis Town Council, Mr Peter Considine, admitted yesterday that "people will find the cost of the homes quite shocking".
He said: "I myself find it extraordinary. Normally you would expect a mansion-style house on a two-acre for that price but it has been explained to us that the costs include ancillary facilities, plus the cost of purchasing the site."
A local auctioneer, Mr Philip O'Reilly, said the cost of the houses "is a totally daft proposition for the taxpayer".
He said: "On the open market, such houses would cost €145,000, so there must be an underlying reason why the costs are so high."
He said that for €400,000, house buyers could expect to be able to purchase a luxury home in the affluent parts of Ennis with a bit to spare.
One of the Travellers due to move into one of six houses is Ms Bridget McDonagh. Currently living in a caravan, she said yesterday: "Where we are living now is very dirty and the conditions awful. There are just two toilets for 12 families and no hot water, so I am really looking forward to having some comfort for myself and my family when we move in."
The houses are expected to be completed by the middle of next year, while a second accommodation unit is expected to be opened in January. The council also recently secured planning for a further two halting sites.
Mr Considine remarked that "with the high costs involved, there is a responsibility that the accommodation unit would be properly managed by the Travellers in partnership with the council."
Mr Considine said: "Ennis has been plagued with the Traveller accommodation problem and with the steady progress being made with the Traveller Accommodation Programme, the problem will be resolved."
The €2.5 million in council spending through central Government funds comes as Travellers continue their daily protest outside the offices of Clare County Council, highlighting the absence of accommodation. The protest entered its sixth week yesterday.
Less than one mile away, a stand-off between Travellers and the council continues at its new €33 million headquarters.
Last month the families - many of whom had set up camp on the front lawn of the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, during the summer - moved on to the site, but quickly received an ultimatum by the council to move on or face the threat of jail.
However, in response, the Travellers issued a solicitor's letter to the council, holding it responsible for not providing them with accommodation.
In all, there are 16 families with 27 children on site. A survey of the families shows there are 21 children under the age of six, with six more children between the ages of six and 14.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Jim Mongans, a Traveller, said the Travellers are determined to make a stand and not move on.