Mr. Niall Crowley:

I thank the Chairperson. First, I agree with Senator O’Sullivan that this is a timely moment to be looking at and seeking action on this issue. One of the key elements is going to be the Pathways to Work strategy and the importance of naming and targeting Travellers in that strategy. Setting targets for Travellers in that strategy is central if progress is going to be made. The idea of the committee engaging with the Department would be very timely in that regard to ensure that type of outcome.

We would strongly recommend internships within the public sector. They have played a role in the past and they have a crucial role to play in the future. It is very important that they are part of a pathway and not just one year’s good experience and one is back then by oneself looking for a job. It works best where it is part of a progression pathway where one does the internship and then moves into mainstream employment within the public sector. That is where it has worked but some of the interviewees had the opposite experience where it just ended, they were dropped, it was a real blow and was not of assistance in the longer term. This needs to be part of a pathway.

Likewise, as regards local authorities or public bodies generally at local level, positive action to employ Travellers is really important. We found a really good example that had been there in the past with South Dublin County Council which had a proactive targeting of Travellers in their employment. It did not just look at getting Travellers into entry-level jobs, they got them into entry-level jobs and then supported them to progress within the organisation. Again Pathways to Work and a pathway within a career was a key element of that positive action. I do not know why it stopped. It is and remains a very important model of its time.

On schooling, integration is key, but integration in ways that respect cultural difference and prevent and eliminate all and any forms of racism. We found in the interviews that there are still many schools that are falling short of that target. Intervention to deal in a better way with cultural diversity within the schools is an imperative and ensuring that there is zero tolerance and zero place for racism in schools is important.

The unequal sharing of caring responsibilities within the Traveller community is a factor as it is within the settled community. If one looks at any gender equality strategy across Europe, this is a major issue and is something that has to change. One of the key elements of that which we found in the research was the importance of workplace cultures that were family-friendly. The importance of family-friendly working arrangements is crucial for access, particularly for Traveller women.

We also found that many of the male interviewees made choices and employment choices, in particular, based on family considerations and on caring responsibilities. I am not so sure if we would have found the same result if we had done those interviews with the settled community, to be honest. Family came across as being very important from both male and female interviewees.

My final point is as regards that battle against stereotyping. I will not say any more on this point but every single one of the Travellers we interviewed had battled against stereotypes both in getting in to work and in the workplace. There is a real need for sustained effort to shift that public discourse on Travellers.