David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Could I stop Dr. Joyce there? When I was a garsún, which was a few years ago, Traveller people moved around. They called to farms – I was on a small farm – and they did seasonal labour. They were welcome, in the main, but that seems to have changed in more recent times. The racism Professor Haynes spoke about seems to have got worse in recent times. In the past, Travellers were part of society and had a niche, like those in other areas, and they worked in various areas. However, much of the economy they were involved in changed with the advent of plastics and mechanisation, including farm mechanisation. Am I right that the racism of more recent times, which Professor Haynes spoke about so strongly, seems to be getting worse? Why is that?