Ms Anastasia Crickley:

Sometimes when this discussion about racism towards Travellers begins, I am reminded of my work with the Irish community in the UK in the 1970s and the campaigns for the release of the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven, campaigns in which some committee members were involved. It took a while for people to acknowledge that what we were experiencing as a community was straightforward racism. Sometimes there is a need for people here to acknowledge, in the same way, that what has been experienced by Travellers here constitutes racism, in spite of the fact the State reports to the international committee responsible for monitoring racism. It must also reflect that in all of its policies and administrations.

In my view, and one which has been expressed widely by international instruments, there are no legal barriers to acknowledging Traveller ethnicity. I use the term deliberately. Recognising it almost infers one is conferring a favour. Travellers are a minority ethnic group. The definition used in our equality legislation is that of an ethnic minority. In a way it is almost laughable that we would then, having put that definition into our equality legislation, name what we have done for exactly what it is.

The first article of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination states racism can happen when there is purpose, intent or outcome. It has not just got to do with purpose. It also has to do with whether the outcome is that people experience racism. That is precisely what has happened for Travellers.

There is much talk and hate speech towards Travellers which obfuscates and provides spurious explanations about extra costs and extra rights. These are reflected in every country where we deal with racial discrimination. That is all 177 countries which have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. There is frequently that kind of talk and that sort of concern. The Traveller organisations have done their bit. It really is in some way up to our leadership, including all committee members. In general recommendation No. 35 about hate speech, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination put a special responsibility on politicians and those in leadership roles not just to not use hate speech but to respond to it and to be really a significant part of creating the counter narrative.

Acknowledging Traveller ethnicity creates the conditions for a real move towards a rights-based approach. It is not that initiatives have not been taken to address Traveller marginalisation and disadvantage. However, the acknowledgement of ethnicity would put the ball firmly and squarely in a rights-based approach going forward as to how Traveller marginalisation is addressed through several of the mechanisms which my friends have already spoken about.

I fully support the idea of a Traveller agency but I also fully support the need, as indeed is fully reflected in all of the UN human rights treaties we have signed up to, for full participation by Travellers and Traveller organisations in the design, monitoring and implementation of programmes and initiatives that are supposed to address the inequalities they experience. Ireland has a great record globally in its support of human rights. I am proud to be part of that in the global sphere. I would also be proud to be part of a recognition and acknowledgement of Traveller ethnicity here, so that this rights-based approach could be reflected in our work in Ireland.