Ms Sinéad Lucey:

From the point of view of the international community and the international bodies, what they want to receive from the State are reports stating it accepts Travellers are an ethnic minority, these are the issues that arise and these are how we are addressing them. They will not be overly concerned about whether we have that in legislation unless there is a specific implication where Travellers are not able to access the range of protections against discrimination available to any other ethnic group. It is only if it had a practical implication that they would become particularly concerned. If it does not, I am sure they would be satisfied with a statement that cannot later be resiled from. If it were on the record of the Dáil, it would difficult for the State or the Government, having stated that in the Dáil, to argue in any other context on a legal point that Travellers are not an ethnic group. A statement in the Dáil would be a positive first step.

It is interesting that the international bodies have spoken less about recognising Travellers as an ethnic group and more about taking steps to recognise or moving in a concrete way towards recognition. I would interpret that as meaning a series of engagements with the Traveller community to identify and discuss the issues in a meaningful way. It would involve asking how have we not recognised Traveller ethnicity and what elements of our law and policy do not validate Traveller culture and way of life.

It is also a matter of asking how we do not support Travellers in education and whether we do not recognise Traveller history in education. We must ask whether there are barriers to nomadism or certain laws that are inimical to nomadism that have suppressed the practice of travelling? The first step is a formal one that might include making a formal statement. It could be legislation but it could be just a statement in the Dáil. A process must flow from that. It should not be a case of making a statement of recognition and doing nothing further. There should be a meaningful process thereafter.