19.—(1) The Minister shall appoint a committee to be known as the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (in this Act referred to as “the National Consultative Committee”) to advise the Minister in relation to any general matter concerning accommodation for travellers and any matter referred to it by the Minister.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the National Consultative Committee may advise the Minister in relation to—

(a) the most appropriate measures for improving, at local level, consultation with, and participation of, travellers in the provision and management of accommodation, and

(b) general matters concerning the preparation, adequacy, implementation and co-ordination of traveller accommodation programmes.

(3) The Minister may provide such secretarial and administrative support, technical and professional advice and assistance towards research to the National Consultative Committee as the Minister considers necessary or appropriate.

(4) The Minister shall fix the date, time and place of the first meeting of the National Consultative Committee.

(5) The National Consultative Committee may regulate by standing order or otherwise, its procedure and business.

(6) The proceedings of the National Consultative Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancies among the membership.

(7) The National Consultative Committee shall, in respect of each year and by such date as the Minister may direct, prepare and submit a report in writing to the Minister on its activities during that year and the Minister shall cause copies of such report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(8) The expenses of the National Consultative Committee may be paid for by the Minister out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.