The Irish government have been urged to improve the situation of Traveller and Roma communities by Council of Europe experts on national minorities, who highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by marginalised groups. 

The findings published by The Advisory Committee on the Protection of National Minorities revealed that, while Irish society “continues to show respect for diversity”, there are still issues that need to be addressed, including the implementation of a treaty that seeks to protect the rights of people belonging to national minorities. 

The Council’s Advisory Committee’s opinion calls for the adoption of various long-awaited action plans like the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2024-2028.

According to RTÉ, the Committee stated that the “generally positive atmosphere in the country” clashed with the attitudes of the majority population towards the Traveller and Roma communities, who “still suffer from various forms of discrimination, prejudice and institutional racism”. 

Other barriers Traveller and Roma face include a lack of culturally appropriate accommodation, which results in further poverty and social exclusion. Additionally, halting sites for Travellers are situated in environmentally hazardous and unhealthy areas.

Another challenge for Travellers is that they face a disproportionate level of unemployment and suffer from serious health issues, including mental health problems and suicide, which is at a very high rate.

The Advisory Committee pointed out that racist incidents against Traveller and Roma were significantly under-reported and there was a lack of trust in Gardaí. It also referred to how there’s an over-representation of Travellers in prison for minor offences as well as a “significant over-representation among the homeless population”. 

Noticing the disproportionate use of reduced timetables for Traveller students, the Advisory Committee called for increased efforts to provide intercultural education to avoid school dropouts, like including the Roma genocide in school curricula.

Minister for Equality Norma Foley acknowledged the importance of the issues raised by the report and said that Ireland “takes its responsibilities to the Council of Europe very seriously”. 

To keep tackling these ongoing issues, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024–2028 represents a more complete approach to meet Traveller and Roma’s needs for inclusion in Ireland’s social, economic, cultural, and political life.

Minister Foley reiterated, “The work to support Travellers and Roma will continue in the years ahead”.

Welcoming the Council of Europe’s report, Co-Director of Pavee Point, Martin Collins, said in a statement: “This is a wide-ranging and insightful report that highlights areas the Irish Government needs to improve to make sure Travellers and Roma are included and respected in Irish society. We urge political leaders to act on this report to promote respect for diversity among all citizens.”