Significant work has been carried out on a halting site in Co Cork which was the subject of a scathing report by the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO) last year. However, a follow-up report found the pace of improvement is not fast enough.
The No End in Site report, published in 2021, detailed an investigation by the OCO into complaints made by 11 families who were living on a site.
The site was not named in the report, but it was understood to be the Spring Lane site on the northside of the city.
The report criticised Cork City Council in relation to what it deemed to be "shocking" and "deplorable" conditions for children at the site. The report found that children were living in filthy, overcrowded, rat infested and unsafe conditions where raw sewage was visible.
Spring Lane was originally a gravel quarry before it was turned into a 10-bay halting site in 1989.
Investigators from the OCO found about 140 people using toilets and washing facilities designed for 40 people.
In an update to the No End in Site report, the OCO has indicated that living conditions have improved for many children after the local authority responsible prioritised implementation of the ombudsman's recommendations.
In the original report, the OCO found there was a persistent problem with rodent infestation, inadequate sanitation, extreme overcrowding, safety concerns about access to the site, illegal dumping nearby, inadequate waste disposal and heating systems, and unsafe electrical works.
It indicated that a high rate of childhood illness was caused by living conditions at the site and found there was also a lack of safe play areas for children. The report add that housing applications were also not being progressed.
Recommendations
The ombudsman made 10 recommendations relating to the site where 66 children and their families were living, all 10 of which were accepted by the council.
Commenting on the update to the No End in Site report, the Children's Ombudsman, Dr Niall Muldoon, said his team has revisited the site: "There is no doubt that significant work has taken place since No End in Site was published.
"The local authority involved has prioritised both short and long term commitments they made in relation our recommendations, and this has resulted in better living conditions for many children.
"For example, there is now a caretaker working five days a week at the site to log and report maintenance issues, as well as a dedicated phone line for residents to log complaints.
"Four welfare units containing washing and toileting facilities, and two mobile homes have been replaced. Four mobile homes are expected by the end of this year and additional welfare units in the New Year."
Mr Muldoon said there is also better administration of housing needs by the council, and disputes regarding credited time on the housing list are looked at favourably by the council where records and files are unclear or have not been kept.
Continuous open communication is needed to drive further change.
"The local authority has also reduced the steepness of the dangerous overhanging cliff face, and works on the footpath to provide a safe passageway for children walking to school are near completion.
"It is important to highlight that the local authority has engaged the services of stakeholder engagement specialists to assist the authority and the residents to reach an acceptable solution to the problem of overcrowding at the site."
However, Mr Muldoon added there is still a long road ahead in relation to rehousing families and making the site fit for purpose.
"There are still families who are not happy with what has been done so far, and who feel things are not happening fast enough. Continuous open communication is needed to drive further change.
"While we are satisfied with the work that has taken place over the past 12 months, our work here is not complete. We will continue to engage with the local authority, and with families on the site, to drive further change that will benefit the children who live there.
"In this matter, the OCO has found that while communication between the local authority, residents, and Traveller advocacy groups has improved, relationships remain strained, and more is needed to keep building trust.
"The local authority and other key agencies also need to look at how children can be actively involved and have a say in the ongoing work to improve conditions at the site," the ombudsman said.
