Traveller accommodation
Westmeath County Council has a Traveller Accommodation Programme 2014 – 2018 and under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 this programme is reviewed every three years. In this Programme, Westmeath County Council identifies a specific number of Traveller families that it will accommodate, be it in standard social housing, RAS or leasing provisions, in the three year period.
Under the 1998 Act Westmeath County Council established a Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (LTACC) which meets periodically during the year. The membership of this committee is made up of elected representatives, officials from the Council's Housing Department as well as representatives from the Travelling Community and those persons who are employed by various agencies to represent the needs of the Travelling Community. The purpose of this meeting is to allow for a more integrated and consultative process when seeking to address the accommodation needs of Westmeath's Traveller population.
Westmeath also has a Traveller Interagency Group (TIG) which is comprised of members from the Travelling Community as well as personnel from the voluntary and statutory sector who have a role in working for and with Westmeath's Traveller Community. This group develops a yearly work plan that aims to enhance Traveller participation in areas of housing, education and employment, for example..