Ms Susan Fay:

I am not in a position to comment on the view of the Attorney General. However, I can state that both the Equality Authority, in a report from 2006 on Traveller ethnicity, and the Irish Human Rights Commission in 2004 and 2013 agreed that Travellers should be recognised as an ethnic group. Both of these statutory human rights and equality organisations agreed. Picking up on a concern raised by Ms Ronnie Fay, the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, that is being formed, with which I am sure all members are familiar, has an inter-culturalism remit. However, because Travellers are not specifically named as an ethnic group, it is unclear whether Travellers will be included within that remit. Consequently, there is less legal clarity, more confusion and more lobbying to be included in provisions and rights that justifiably should be afforded to Travellers. I hope this has dealt with Deputy McGrath's question.