Dear Northern Ireland Housing Executive,

The Department for Communities Guide to the Unauthorised Encampments(Northern Ireland) Order 2005, page 4, section 1.5:

"An Interagency Working Group, established by NIHE to consider the need for and location of transit sites concluded that 5 transit sites located around Strabane, Londonderry, Belfast, Craigavon and Newry should be sufficient to cater for those still wishing to Travel. As an interim measure, it is proposed to establish a programme of emergency sites to cater for the immediate needs of Traveller families who continue to live by the roadside. It is intended through this programme, to use a more proactive approach to the Co-operation Policy in respect of Travellers by identifying areas of land in NIHE ownership which could be managed under co-operation policy guidelines".

Under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide:

The names of the Agencies which made up this "Interagency Working Group".

The date that this working group was established and if applicable when did they cease activity;

A copy of any report / meeting notes / minutes of meetings which conclude that "5 transit sites located around Strabane, Londonderry, Belfast, Craigavon and Newry should be sufficient to cater for those still wishing to Travel" and any supporting statistics used to come to this conclusion;

Any actions / outcomes as a result of this report;

Details / a copy of the programme which details the need for a "more proactive approach to the Co-operation Policy in respect of Travellers by identifying areas of land in NIHE ownership which could be managed under co-operation policy guidelines;

Details of the legislation which allows NIHE to identify land in NIHE ownership which could be managed under co-operation policy guidelines;

Details of the number of times that NIHE have requested that the co-operation policy be invoked since July 2019;

The location of each unauthorised encampment, where a request has been made to the landowner to invoke the co-operation policy; the name of the landowner if a public authority and their decision.

Many thanks in advance.

Kelly Laverty
For Craigavon Traveller Support

Yours faithfully,

Kelly Laverty

Dear Northern Ireland Housing Executive,

Thank you for your response.

I refer you to paragraph 1 of your response:

"As a result of Housing Executive retention policies, and the passage of time since the 2005 guide was published, we are unable to furnish any information in regard to questions 1-5 as no details or files are currently held".

Please be advised that the Guide to Unauthorised Encampments was published in 2019 and I assume that this is within your retention period. I assume also that as the Interagency Working group was established by NIHE, that you will hold the information requested in questions 1-5.

I would therefore ask that you provide a full response for questions 1-5.

I refer now to paragraph 2 of your response:

"With regard to question 6, the same retention policy also applies, however we would note that the co-operation policy is a Department for Social Development Policy created in 1987 and reviewed in 1996. For any other information on amendments or additions to that policy you should contact Department for Communities who replaced DSD and would be the policy owner".

Page 4, section 1.5 of the DFC Guide to Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) 2005, page 4, section 1.5 states:

"It is proposed to establish a programme of emergency sites to cater for the immediate needs of Traveller families who continue to live by the roadside. It is intended through this programme to use a more proactive approach to the Co-operation Policy in respect of Travellers by identifying areas of land in NIHE ownership which could be managed under co-operation guidelines".

To clarify, question 6 is asking for details of the LEGISLATION which enables NIHE to identifiy land in NIHE ownership that could be used to create emergency sites by invoking the cooperation policy. It is not a question about the policy itself.

I look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully,

Kelly Laverty
For Craigavon Travellers Support Committee

Dear NIHE FOI,
Thank you for your response advising that you are treating clarification of my request as an internal review. I disagree that this should be treated as an internal review because you, as the information holder, misinterpreted my request. My request very clearly referred to section 1.5 of the 2019 "Department for Communities GUIDE to the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) order 2005". You mistakenly referred to the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

Additionally, the EIR permit an extension to the time for compliance for Regulations 5(2), 6(2)(a) and 14(2), from 20 to 40 working days, if you believe that the request’s complexity and volume would make it impractical to comply or reach a decision about whether to refuse the request, within 20 working days.

I disagree that the request's complexity and volume would make it impractical to comply or reach a decision about whether to refuse the request, within 20 working days. I would therefore request that the time frame be changed from 40 working days to 20. If you disagree with my opinion on the complexity and volume of the information I have requested, you should explain why.

Many thanks.

Kelly Laverty
For Craigavon Travellers Support Committee