Mr. Niall Crowley:

I will pick up on the idea of quotas within the public sector raised by the Senator and Deputy Joan Collins and the model in terms of the ground of disability. There is potential in this and it is close to our thinking in terms of public sector internships as well. However, if we go down that route it would be important to learn from the disability model. Two big issues arose. One is that there are jobs at entry level but this has not really enabled progression within public bodies. We would need a new model whereby Traveller people get access to public sector jobs and are enabled to progress their careers within the public sector as well. That has been a gap.

The other gap was lack of training for public sector employers in terms of management of diversity. That is a significant issue. It was a particular issue in the context of reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. Seemingly, it will be an issue in respect of Travellers, how employers manage cultural diversity and how they effectively manage the elimination of the micro-aggression we found in the public and private sectors that has been immensely demoralising for Traveller employees.

The second point relates to the review. It is not that we are recommending a review or anything like that, it is that a review is happening. Reviews are moments of change. If a review of the national and social enterprise strategy is taking place, it should lead to action. This means a tailoring of supports to the Traveller community and outreach in terms of information and awareness to the Traveller community so that those opportunities can be taken up. The public sector is usually not airy-fairy in any way. It is specifically focused on action in terms of the employment function of public bodies as well as the service provision function. It is a question of action to address issues that are faced by Travellers in respect of particular areas of responsibility, as well as other grounds. These two recommendations are deeply action focused. It is not about further analysis or anything like that. These are two key moments of opportunity that are not currently being seized.