Concerns that Travellers will be concentrated in three Co Clare centres has resulted in Clare County Council deferring the adoption of its €28 million draft Traveller accommodation plan.
In the draft plan, the council is proposing that 88 families be given accommodation in Ennis, Shannon and Ennistymon during the four-year plan to 2008.
There is a necklace of halting sites around Ennis already, while the council is proposing the development of new accommodation for Travellers in Shannon and Ennistymon, with no other locations around Clare to be considered.
Cllr Bernard Hanrahan (FF) said yesterday that Ennis "shouldn't have to bear the brunt of accommodating Travellers in our area".
Cllr Hanrahan was backed by the county's mayor, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) who seconded his proposal.
The proposal that one out of every seven local authority homes be allocated to Travellers also came under attack from Independent councillor Gerry Flynn.
Cllr Flynn said that a one in 10 ratio would be more acceptable.
At the meeting, a letter was circulated to councillors by Traveller Mary Mongans, who urged them to examine the programme once more before adopting it.
The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, has given local authorities until the end of April to adopt their Traveller accommodation plans and the council has ruled that it will hold a special meeting on April 6th to discuss the various issues involved.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/6e8ec300-40e5-4306-a133-026729d6d8b8.png)