4 2 March 2016
I
tiscriticalthatthenextGovernmenthave
acredibleandrobustNationalTravellerand
RomaInclusionStrategy.Thiswilldepend
onpoliticalwill.
Thelastnumberofmonthshavebeen
particularlydifcultforTravellersandTraveller
organisations.InOctober2015wewitnessed
thehorricdeathsof10Travellersinareata
below-standardhaltingsiteinCarrickmines.
Therewasageneraloutpouringofsympathyfor
thebereavedTravellerfamilieswhichseemed
to break through the barriers of negative
stereotype.
Soon,however,wewereforcedtowatchthe
bouquetsturnbackintobouldersasthelocal
authority failed to implement its plans to
accommodate the bereaved families due to
objectionsfromlocalresidents.Thisunleashed
shockinglevelsofanti-Travellerhatespeechon
theairwavesandonsocialmedia.Meanwhile
thefamilieswerelefttoliveonacar-parkwhile
theyburiedtheirlovedones.
InNovember2015Travellerethnicitywasdis-
cussedinDáilEireannforthersttime.The
GovernmenttoldtheDáilthatTravellerethnicity
wouldbedealtwithintheirnewNationalTrav-
ellerandRomaInclusionStrategy.Butwehad
to watch the Minister for Equality,who had
promisedtodeliveronthisissue,backdown.
Heblamed‘focusgroupled’politics.
ThisdisappointmentwasfollowedinJanuary
thisyearwiththespectacleofriotpoliceevicting
TravellersfromaTravellerhaltingsiteinDund-
alk.Thiswasapparentlyfortheirownsafety.
Ministersrefusedtogetinvolvedinlocalauthor-
ityoperations.TheGovernmentwasexposedas
havingnoplanforTravellersandRoma.
ThelastGovernmenttoldtheUnitedNations
In 30 years we have
not implemented
policy in Traveller
accommodation,
health, education
or employment. The
1995 Task Force
report remains
unimplemented
Bouquets
to Boulders
Policy on Travellers reflects
on our decency
by Ronnie Fay
Photo:BirteKaufmann
POST-ELECTION
March 2016 4 3
thatpooreducationoutcomesforTravellerchil-
dren and third-world living conditions for
Travellerchildrenwouldbedealtwithinthenew
NationalTravellerandRomaInclusionStrategy.
However, It succeeded in putting Traveller
issuesonhold,justlongenoughtogettothe
GeneralElection.
TheweekbeforetheelectionTravellersand
Travellerorganisationswereinvolvedinaround
ofconsultationswiththeDepartmentofJustice
andEqualityontheNationalTravellerandRoma
InclusionStrategy.Itwasironicthatoutside
theseconsultations,intherealworldofGeneral
Election campaigning, Traveller issueswere
barelymentioned.Considerablespaceinprint,
onthebroadcastmediaandonSocialMediais
readily available to decry Travellers and to
blamemanyoftheillsofsocietyonthem.How-
ever,whenitcomestopoliticaldiscoursethe
spaceavailableseemstoshrink.
TravellersandTravellerorganisationshave
beenengagingwiththeStatefor30yearsnow.
Inthistimetherehavebeensignicantmile-
stones.The1995-Government-appointedTask
ForceonTravellerswasthersttoprovidea
comprehensiveagendaofpolicyproposalsfor
equalityforTravellersbasedonarecognitionof
thedistinctcultureandidentityoftheTraveller
community.
The1998EmploymentEqualityActandthe
2000EqualStatusActintroduced,fortherst
time,asystemofredressforpeopleexperienc-
ingdiscriminationinemploymentandinthe
provisionofgoodsandservices,includingTrav-
ellers. In 2010 the First All-IrelandTraveller
HealthStudywaspublishedwhichacknowl
-
edgedthecriticalrolethatlivingconditionsplay
in determining unacceptably-poor Traveller
healthlevels.
Whatwehavefailedtoseeinthelast30years
istheimplementationofpolicyinaccommoda-
tion,health,educationandemployment.Many
oftherecommendationsofthe1995TaskForce
reportremaintobeimplemented.Therehas
beenlittletangibleimprovementinthestand-
ardofTravellerlivingconditions.Travellersand
Romarepresentasmallpercentageofthetotal
population. It is not beyond our means to
ensureequalityandhumanrightsforTraveller
andRoma.
We need leadership that Travellers can
believein.WeneedGovernmenttocommitto
implementingaNationalTravellerandRoma
Strategythat:
1
Providessafe,culturally-appropriateaccom-
modationforallTravellersandRoma.
2
Supportspositiveactiontoenablelabour-
marketparticipationandemploymentfor
TravellersandRoma.
3
Reinstatesandgrowresourcestoensure
participationbyandoutcomesforTravellers
andRomainculturallyappropriateeducation
atalllevels.
4
ImplementstherecommendationsoftheAll-
IrelandTravellerHealthStudy.
5
Recognisesthedistinctethnicidentityofthe
Travellercommunityandaddressestheprac-
tical implications of this in policy,
programmesandservices.
6
AddressesdeprivationamongTravellersand
Romainanintegratedstrategyforeconomic
equalityforthesecommunities.
7
FundsTravellerandRomaorganisationsto
givevoicetotheissuesfacedbytheircom-
munities and to participate in
decision-makingthataffectsthem.
8
Promotesacampaignofpubliceducationto
combatracismandtostimulateavaluingof
ethnicdiversity.
9
Buildscapacityinthepublicsectortorespond
effectivelytoculturaldiversityandtoimple-
mentthepublic-sectordutytopromoteand
implementequalityandhumanrights.
Ronnie Fay is Director of Pavee Point
Weave Your Own Future
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W www.dcu.ie
Dublin City University
Ireland’s University of Enterprise

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