Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I am impressed by the work being done by the organisations in terms of the different measures they are trying to implement in response to issues affecting the Traveller community. Ms Edwards made the point that within general society there is either racism, in its most cynical and hard sense, or an unconscious bias against the Traveller community and ethnic groups. This must seep into the prison and probation services. They are not unique and cannot be separated from it. Mr. Beirne made the point that for prisoner officers this issue is addressed by way of education. I am not sure if the Probation Service has a similar policy with regard to probation officers. I am interested in hearing how those courses are impacting on the attitudes of the officers within the prison and probation services in light of the reference earlier to the WhatsApp conversation among officers that was released and in which the language used was cruel and nasty in regard to the Traveller community. The issue is how we over come that. I believe the only way we can overcome it is through greater linkage of people from the Traveller community with non-Traveller people. This might help the latter to understand that Travellers are human and there is no difference between them other than that the Traveller community has been separated for so long from society it has become a group that people are suspicious of when they should be welcoming them.

I have a question for Mr. Wilson, Mr. Black and Mr. Beirne. What more can be done to try to cut across that unconscious bias and racism within the prison and probation services? My next question is in respect of an issue raised by Ms Ní Chinnéide of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, namely, the complaint mechanism within the Prison Service. It was stated that a complaints mechanism was supposed to be introduced by the end of 2019, which later became 2020 and has been changed again to 2021. I note that Prison Service is in negotiations with the Department of Justice on that matter. Ms Ní Chinnéide appears to be hopeful that it will be introduced by the end of 2021. Perhaps she would clarify the situation for us.

It was mentioned earlier that many of the sentences are for pretty crime. In general, sentences for such crime should be non-custodial. For many in the settled community, it would be a non-custodial sentence, but among the Traveller community a higher percentage of people are being committed to prison for pretty crime. Another issue raised was that of additional women's open prisons to try to support women in the Prison Service. I ask Mr. Black to comment on whether that would be a positive action.

My final question is to the CDETB. It is doing fantastic work in linking the cultural, settled Traveller community and in trying to develop the cultural aspect of the Traveller community and make Travellers feel proud of their culture and ethnicity. What more could be done in this regard? Are there examples of measures in place in other countries that the Irish State could implement to expand on the actions of the CDETB? As I said, the CDETB is doing really good work, buy how many people does it impact within the Traveller community? Do only a small percentage respond to it or does the CDETB have a broad access to people in the Traveller community in terms of the work that it does?