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Issue: Equality Index

• Equality: The Issue
• ITM's ROLE - ACTIONS and INITIATIVES
• Survey: Because I'm a Traveller
• Equality and the Task Force Report
• Task Force Recommendations

Equality: The Issue

Travellers experience discrimination as part of their everyday reality. This discrimination is experienced in a direct way in terms of being refused access to goods and services. It is also experienced indirectly in terms of a failure to recognise and validate Traveller culture. This happens through the lack of recognition of Travellers in the school curriculum, the failure of local authorities to address the nomadic needs of Travellers or implementing the medical card scheme in a manner which acts against Travellers who move.

Reversing this situation and achieving equality for Travellers is central to the goal of achieving human rights for Travellers.

ITM's Role - Actions and Initiatives

The Irish Traveller Movement believes in creating solidarity across all the groups experiencing discrimination in Ireland. The new equality framework including legislation and institutions provides the hope of protection against discrimination.

In the 1990s the Irish Traveller Movement directed its work on equality through its Anti-Discrimination Working Group. The Group met regularly to plan ITM's input into policies and actions aimed at achieving equality. The Anti-Discrimination Working Group held regular meetings at regional level in order to inform our members of developments in the equality area and to gather information about experiences of discrimination and efforts to address this discrimination at the local level. 

The Irish Traveller Movement also links with and feeds into other relevant organisations and agencies including:

Platform Against Racism
The Platform Against Racism brings together organisations involved in anti-racism work. The platform is a co-ordinating mechanism that allows for sharing of information on the work of the organisations and to look at the broader policy developments in relation to the fight against racism. The Platform also provides a mechanism for linking into the work of the European Network Against Racism, and to the Monitoring Centre on Racism in Vienna.

National Co-ordinating Committee on Racism and Interculturalism

The National Co-ordinating Committee on Racism and Interculturalism brings together representatives of anti-racism organisations, relevant government departments, trade unions and employers. The Irish Traveller Movement is represented on the committee. The committee provides advice to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in relation to issues of racism and Interculturalism The committee also plays a role in raising awareness on these issues. Lately the committee has taken up a role in supporting the development and capacity building of community organisations representing the interests of those experiencing racism.

Equality Authority

The Equality Authority was established in 1999. The authority is charged with responsibility for ensuring the implementation of the Employment Equality Legislation and has responsibility for the Equal Status Legislation in place since 2000. The Equality Worker of the Irish Traveller Movement is on the board of the authority.

Survey: Because I'm a Traveller

Most Travellers can give a range of examples of how they have been and are discriminated against because of their Traveller identity. There are Travellers who decide not to socialise or use certain services because they are afraid that yet again they will be "made a show of", or embarrassed. Yet many people who are not experiencing discrimination themselves fail to acknowledge it is an issue in Irish society that must be effectively addressed through a range of measures including strong anti-discrimination legislation.

So ITM conducted a survey of Travellers through its membership on a range of service provision including shops, hotels, pubs, medical and welfare services. The following data highlights the findings of this research.

PUBS

HOTELS

SHOPS

HAIRDRESSERS

LAUNDRETTE

Equality and the Task Force Report

Source: Task Force Report 1995 - Summary report on discrimination

"Over the past decade discrimination against Travellers has not diminished. This requires new initiatives and new approaches. Travellers experience discrimination at an individual and interpersonal level and at an institutional level. Discrimination at the individual level is most common when Travellers seek access to any of a range of goods, services and facilities, to which access is denied purely on the basis of their identity as Travellers. At the institutional level, discrimination against Travellers may occur where, for example, procedures and practices reflect a lack of Travellers culture and identity.

This discrimination experienced by Travellers can be direct and indirect. At the level of the individual it is more often conscious and direct. Positive action targeted on Travellers is necessary to eliminate discrimination, to promote equality, and to relieve hardship and the impact of past discrimination."

Task Force Recommendations

EQUAL STATUS LEGISLATION:

While legislation alone will not put an end to the discrimination faced it will make an essential contribution to this task. It will give Travellers a legal means of redress. It would be a statement of significant weight from Government of the Travellers status in Irish society. It would also specify the Traveller community as being protected.

EQUALITY AUTHORITY:

The effectiveness and impact of legislation depends on the institutions created to promote and implement such legislation. The Task Force stresses the importance of involving Traveller organisations in such institutions. They require a body of expertise in relation to discrimination in non-employment areas to match that existing in relation to employment areas and that discrimination experienced by the Traveller community.

CODE OF PRACTICE AND EQUAL STATUS POLICY:

Codes of practice should set out the central objectives of an Equal Status policy and the key commitments required. An Equal Status policy in relation to Travellers aims to ensure that an institution or organisation and its employees acknowledge and respect the distinct culture of the Travellers and do not engage in direct and indirect discrimination.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS:

International standards on human rights at universal and regional levels have an importance for the Traveller community

ACCESS TO VOTING:

The Electoral Act of 1992 makes residence within a constituency a prerequisite for registration and as such nomadism can disenfranchise Travellers as the legislation stands.

Archive material:

Speech by Ms Mary Wallace, Minister of State, February 21, 2001