Mr. Patrick Reilly:

I will answer as best I can the second half of the Senator’s questions on the integrated element with Travellers and employers. We have been calling for a long time for intercultural training for staff. Something we have been pushing for is the ethnic identifier, which came out of almost all the submissions to the Oireachtas.

Mr. O’Leary referred to examples. I know Travellers who are doing security work and they have told me that they have been trained how to watch out for Travellers and Roma. That is all part of the training. Travellers are in security jobs and are being trained to watch out for Travellers and Roma in particular. That is sad because these men want the work. They are not confident enough to say, “I’m a Traveller and what you’re doing is wrong.” They have to make ends meet.

That is the harsh reality. They are hiding their identity.

On the integration strategy for Travellers and Roma, it has to be across the board. Children going to school are our future doctors and solicitors. We cannot talk about employment without education. The two are linked. We see that on the ground. One of the saddest things I heard as a Traveller was from my nephew, who got good results in the leaving certificate examinations. He said he cannot get any work and is struggling, even in respect of work experience. His younger siblings are hearing this and asking what the point is.

Therefore, mainstreaming and the ethnic identifier have to be considered, and the intercultural piece. We get asked questions all the time and are sick and tired of having to defend the negative, but we have a lot of positives. Mr. Hogan spoke about that. There are vibrant young Travellers who want to work and go into the mainstream. The Chairman asked why not. A whole-of-government approach is required from grassroots level to the top.