Ms Ronnie Fay:

I wanted to respond to the question on mental health. The International Journal of Epidemiologyconducted a review of all of the research examining the impact of racism on health. It found there is extensive evidence there is an association between self-reported racism and ill health after adjusting for a range of commonly-measured cofounders and that the strongest and most reliable association is between racism and poor mental health.

The all-Ireland Traveller health study showed that only 41% of Travellers had confidence and trust in the health service, as against 82% of the general population. It also showed that 40% of Travellers had experienced discrimination in accessing health services, compared to 70% of black Americans and 14% of Latino Americans. That shows that Travellers in Ireland experienced much higher rates of racism and discrimination than in other jurisdictions where there might be a perception that things are worse.

There is evidence of health inequalities in Ireland. The Department of Health has not convened the national Traveller health advisory committee since October 2012. Travellers are invisible in the forthcoming HSE service plan. The health inequality statistics for Travellers are the worst in the country. The social inclusion budget that has been allocated will deal with homelessness and drugs, which are major issues, but not one penny will go to Travellers. The Traveller budget was decimated even before the Celtic tiger.

Recognition of ethnicity will not be a panacea, but it will mean that people have to take the issues into account. Connecting for Life, the suicide strategy, shows that the rate of suicide among Traveller men is 6.6 times or seven times higher, accounting for 11% of Traveller deaths. Travellers are included with all other vulnerable groups. That shows the mindset and impact of that mindset. We have to take urgent action.

The all-Ireland Traveller health study was published in 2010. There has never been an action plan to address its findings. We cannot do any more. We are not being listened to. Unless there is a driver and sanctions for inaction and someone takes responsibility nothing will happen; goodwill will not make things happen.

There are fantastic people in the HSE and the Department of Health, but the institutional framework is lacking. Unless we have accountability and a process to drive things forward, the same things will continue to happen. No one seems to care. Nothing happens when Travellers are being killed. One could call it ethnic cleansing.