Ms Concepta de Brun:

I acknowledge the role Traveller primary health care project workers perform is invaluable. We would not be able to deliver the services without them. The peer support model works. However, as it has developed and grown since 1994, it has been stuck in a social protection, poverty culture. I do not say that lightly. A person would be reluctant to take up a full-time job if it would affect their medical card eligibility. Recent increases in the minimum wage resulted in some workers not having their medical cards renewed because they were over the income threshold. The option for them, therefore, was to reduce their hours and, thus, their income, to retain their medical card or to leave. The infrastructure on which all the successful work has been done proves that it works but it needs investment in planning for the delivery of existing and future services.

Another element to the start of this investment has been our work in partnership with Pavee Point and Maynooth University to deliver pre-capacity training through 100 hours of education. I understand the interviews for members of the Traveller community to participate in that course in the university are taking place today. We are hopeful 15 members of the Traveller community will achieve a FETAC level 5 to level 6 standard in their first year and that this time next year, they will start a FETAC level 8 qualification course. The HSE has committed to finding the people who complete that course meaningful grade 4 minimum salary posts. We ask the committee to examine other Departments and statutory bodies following suit on this as a broader range of posts need to be made available. While we started this process with Maynooth University in providing training in youth and community work through a five-year plan, a big picture approach needs to be taken under the public sector duty heading to ensure Travellers are employed across all Departments and statutory agencies.

It is important all Departments participate in intercultural health and training. The HSE is providing intercultural health, which the Deputy availed of with respect to the south east group. While we offer it, it is not mandatory. However, if one is in any way committed, one will do it.

We have worked closely with the ICGP and the school of nursing and midwifery to ensure culturally appropriate training as well as racism and discrimination training are part of the core curriculum. Those relationships in developing that work date back 20 years. Professionals receive that accredited module when they come into the system but we need to examine if there is more we can do and more we can offer. We are heavily reliant on Traveller and healthcare projects to deliver that training.