Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

Picking up on that point on engaging with the organisations, my understanding is the Traveller forum meets once a year. It might be more effective if it met more often, maybe twice a year. It is important there is as much engagement as possible with the organisations in the community directly on the strategy and implementation of the strategy. Ensuring organisations have capacity to review the monitoring and implementation of the strategy is key and some kind of independent shadowing or shadow report could be useful. Organisations need resourcing and funding to be able to do that.

In relation to intersectionality and how this strategy speaks to the other strategies, particularly with regard to LGBT Travellers, the women and girls strategy or disabilities, how does it work at a departmental level in terms of ensuring there is that connection between the various strategies, that they do speak to each other and there is inclusion of those groups within the Traveller community? There is particular isolation among some of those groups within the community.