Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They are the victims of prejudice and ignorance on the part of our community. We should begin by admitting that and that there is much wrong at our end. It is an important starting point. There is no point in avoiding that or dressing it up in any other form. The onus is on us as community leaders to try to lessen that. I served on the Traveller accommodation committee on my local authority and worked to do that, and I taught a Traveller class. We are all not doing enough - I myself am not doing enough - but we have a duty to breakdown those prejudices.

I have a couple of issues to raise with the witnesses. I missed their contributions because I was travelling up from Cavan, and unavoidably so. I would like to ask about the suicide issue. I gather from the questions that there was a very human personal testimony there. It is a very real issue. It is an issue in all communities but I gather it is a very special one with the Traveller community, tragically. The great empowerment and key to emancipation, self-development and strength in their communities is knowledge and education. Therein lies the key.