Ms Brigid Quilligan:

We are delighted to be here to speak about why it is imperative for our people to have their ethnicity recognised by the State. The Irish Traveller Movement has more than 40 member organisations and a mandate to speak on their behalf and advocate for the recognition of Traveller ethnicity. Our submission includes details of Irish Travellers who number 40,000 in Ireland, 15,000 in Britain and 10,000 of Irish descent in the United States. We have a shared history, cultural values, a language, customs and traditions which are recognisable and distinct to our own people. We constitute an ethnic group on the basis of these distinct and separate cultural values and traditions which make us self-identify as a separate group and enable us to be identified by the majority of the Irish population as a separate group. We have been recognised as an ethnic group by all major international human rights instruments and bodies in Europe and worldwide and by the major human rights instruments in Ireland. Uniquely, we also have two distinct features which mark our difference. We have a dual identity of being indigenous Irish and Travellers and an undisputed and historical experience of marginalisation and discrimination in the country to which we belong.

Members will note from our submission that our legal argument is watertight. There is no dispute among national and international legal experts that we constitute an ethnic group. We self-identify as an ethnic group and others recognise us such. I will speak about the impact of not being recognised in one's own country as an ethnic group. No matter how many boxes we tick or how much we fulfil our requirements and responsibilities in Irish society, we still experience discrimination and prejudice in every area of life on a daily basis. People justify racism against us by stating we bring it on ourselves. That is what the general Irish population thinks about us and we know this. We feel the hate, as do our children. We see the hate in the media and displayed by people in positions of responsibility, politicians, judges, the police, teachers and doctors. We feel, see and experience it on a daily basis. It is not good enough for the State not to offer us the protection to which we are entitled.

We are not speaking about major changes; we are speaking about people who have been on the island of Ireland for as long as anybody can record and recognition for the valuable contribution we have made to Irish society.

We are talking about having our own history recorded, rather than a history that has been written for us, imposed upon us and dictated to us. We are talking about setting the record straight and supporting our people to stand tall and feel they are a valuable part of Irish society. Make no bones about it - despite what one might hear regularly, Travellers want to be part of Irish society. We work hard and tirelessly to be part of society. Unfortunately, however, doors are often closed in our faces, so many of our community do not engage. Working with the Irish Traveller Movement, I can see how people - especially the most vulnerable in society who are dependent on the State - are treated by agents of the State. I can therefore understand why people choose not to engage. However, our message today is that both local and national Traveller organisations want to support people to engage with the State.

We want recognition so that our culture and people can survive into the future. We cannot do it on our own, however, so we need your support. We need allies and while we have some already, we need more allies in the Oireachtas. We need people to stand up for us. We are on this side of the table while the committee members are on the other side.

There is a lot we could say about ethnicity and I could talk all day about it, including key points as to why the recognition of our people is so vital for our survival. Our suicide rate is six times the national average. My colleagues and those in the Visitors Gallery know that it is directly related to the oppression and marginalisation our people suffer.

During questions and answers I hope to have an opportunity to elaborate further. I thank the committee for its attention.