Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 9 October 2025
Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community
Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed)
2:00 am
Mr. Gerard Brophy:
A lot of that is about integrated working.
A number of us were at an event last week in Exchange House. We talked about how we can combine our agencies' work to support families in interfamilial conflict and how we can increase that discussion with the Traveller community. There were significant numbers from the Traveller community who were talking about their experience and how we as State agencies needed to up our cultural game in terms of understanding what that is and be more trauma-informed for those families. It is important we continue that wide engagement across the Traveller organisations. Ms Jordan described that earlier with regards to Pavee Point. We have had significant representations from the Traveller community informing our strategies so we can hear what they want and what is important to them and so we can communicate to them what we are doing. A simple example is a person we had employed and was supported in college and had a placement with us. At the end of that placement, they came to us and said they had not realised all that Tusla is doing and the amount of support it provides. It is brilliant for us that she can go back to her family and community and talk about that. It is that type of engagement we need. We are providing more culturally sensitive services and members of the Traveller community are beginning to understand Tusla is able to provide that and wants to.
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