Ms Rosaleen McDonagh:

I thank the Chairman for giving me the opportunity to contribute.

As a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, I ran as an independent candidate four times for election to the Seanad. Although I was generally warmly and well received, for me as a Traveller, the atmosphere was hostile. I did not have the social connections or political mobility to find support in the Oireachtas. As a result, I was at a huge disadvantage. During my Seanad election campaigns I received letters and phone calls that were absolutely derogatory about my gender, ethnicity and disability. In one of the letters I was told to go back to where I was born and live on an island, away from the rest of the population, in order that Irish democracy would not be ruined by the likes of me running. Despite this, personally I found the experience of running as an independent candidate fruitful and learned a lot from it.

I concur with my colleague Mr. Martin Collins who highlighted the need for various actions and dedicated seats for Travellers. There are no Traveller senior civil servants; therefore, the impetus to elevate Travellers in democracy falls short. I refer to a gateway into politics. I would not be the first to say having in the Seanad someone from a working-class background such as Senator Ruane has really enriched the debates in it in various ways. To enrich democracy and make it more diverse, we need Travellers. This is the time. This is the moment. We need courage and political assistance to open the gates.