Mr. Mike Allen:

In one sense, all forms of homelessness are the tip of the iceberg and an expression of the wider problem, so it is absolutely true that this is the case in respect of Travellers. When there is a housing crisis there are going to be some people who end up experiencing it most. They tend to be the people who were already more marginalised and where there are systemic problems relating to them, whether it be the Traveller population or people with other challenges in their lives. It is important to understand that they are not homeless because of those circumstances. The homelessness happens because of the way we have failed in our housing system, and those people happen to experience the problem because of the issues they face.

It is important to point out that Focus Ireland, in terms of its services, is working mainly with Traveller families who have opted into mainstream housing. We do not have services that work in Traveller-specific accommodation. We do not explore the question of whether they are opting for mainstream housing because that is all that is available or because that is what they prefer. We take people where they are. Finding ways to explore more deeply what people's choices would be if they genuinely had choices would be a crucial part of dealing with the overall housing challenges that face the Traveller community.