Ms Maria Joyce:

I thank Senator Higgins for her questions. On her question on being called on in terms of spaces of policy to try to inform and shape them, I absolutely agree on the point she made on building in the questions when research or policy is being developed. For example, for four years I sat on the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020, which came to an end last year.

Numerous times throughout the life of that strategy, various pieces of research and studies were presented by different Departments, whether on the economy, gender equality, pay, employment or pensions. At no point were Traveller women or other ethnic minority women, including Roma women, mentioned across all of that research. After each presentation was given over those four years, I asked what the situation was for Traveller women. They were not enough for it to be warranted, or they did not see the need. That is why it is so important. It is not just about Traveller policy naming the specifics around Traveller women. Wider gender policy in research and policy development needs to explicitly ask those question while also resourcing and supporting local and national organisations in the context of gender. Collaboration and working in solidarity with wider mainstream groups is really important. We need those groups to pick up on this as well. We do not need them to speak for us, but we need them to work with us, supporting and picking up on the issues. Much needs to be done in relation to those wider policy spaces because we are excluded from them. Our voice is not there. Those questions need to be stitched in and mechanisms need to be found to have us at the table as well. That is incredibly important.

On the racist and discriminatory comments, I agree with bringing back that protocol in terms of signing up to the incitement to hatred legislation. The incitement to hatred legislation needs to deliver protections for Traveller and Roma women and the wider Traveller community in general. Strong, clear recommendations in relation to that need to be at the core of the incitement to hatred legislation. When an elected official, in either the Seanad and the Dáil, makes racist or discriminatory statements, they need to be held to account. Apologies are all well and good, and they are welcome and they need to be made, but it needs to go further than that. There needs to be consequences in political parties when their members make racist and discriminatory comments in relation to Travellers or other ethnic minorities, including Roma. There needs to be consequences and serious penalties.