Mr. Martin Ward:

Many Travellers would look at self-employment, business opportunities and entrepreneurship. As Ms Costello says, that is because that was really the only option available. Many Travellers have to become entrepreneurs in order to survive at times. They face the same challenges operating a business. One could look at the public procurement directive and whether social considerations were given to that and how Traveller entrepreneurs or businesspeople might be able to get some of those small contracts and so on, while addressing the bigger picture and the changes needed in attitudes and behaviour against the community. My background is one of running business. We had to hide our identity in order to get contracts and had contracts pulled when competitors referred to us derogatorily. Contracts never came to us in the post even though we won them in paper. The biggest advantage that somebody had over me in business was my ethnicity. People still face similar barriers. They are dealing with many overheads when trying to take on staff and run a building. It can be tough to be a Traveller running a business.