Thousands of Travellers are being "forced to face another cold Christmas in appalling conditions", according to the Citizen Traveller organisation. Mr Fintan Farrell, spokesman for Citizen Traveller, said over 24 per cent of the 25,000 Travellers in the State were forced to live on the side of the road. Some 1,207 families were living in conditions that could be "compared to those in the Third World", he said, "with no running water, electricity, toilet facilities, heat or refuse collection". The Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community in 1995 recommended the provision of 3,100 units of Traveller accommodation. In March every local authority was obliged to adopt a five-year plan for the provision of Traveller accommodation. To date, just 99 units have been provided.