Mr. Martin Collins:

I will build on that. Ms Fay and others have spoken at length about the policy implications of not recognising Traveller ethnicity. Traveller ethnicity has to be the starting point. On that, one builds the policy infrastructure in terms of services and how services get designed and delivered, be it in schools or the health service or through recruitment strategies for employment in An Garda Síochána and so forth. However, it is only a starting point; it is not the panacea in itself. It is not an end in itself but the beginning. It is a very important beginning, however.

Why are things happening to Travellers in the way they are? Ms Fay is absolutely right that Travellers lack a political voice both within their community and outside it in the Dáil, Seanad and local authorities. We have very few champions within the institutions of the State, including the Dáil and Seanad. I will not be as generous as Ms Fay on racism. The reality is that there are politicians at local level and within the Dáil who are racist. We have seen examples of that. The Dáil can be a microcosm of the wider society. We must be honest and acknowledge that. I will not name names but we have seen examples over the years of Deputies at local level blocking Traveller accommodation. We have had Deputies come out with anti-Traveller racism in the not-too-distant past. We are dealing with institutional racism among the political classes and political elite. There is no getting away from that. It is a challenge and a block. It is important to acknowledge that.

With regard to ethnicity, apart from the practical implications, which are very important, unequivocal recognition by the Taoiseach in the Dáil of Traveller ethnicity would put to bed once and for all the racist notion and ideology that my community is in some way dysfunctional, primitive and backward, and that it comprises people who need to be civilised and normalised by the State. It is a racist ideology. If an announcement in the Dáil achieved nothing else, it would address this.