Ms Brigid Quilligan:

I thank Senator Ó Murchu for his comments, and Deputies Ellis and Murphy. They display a great understanding of our issues and what we are up against. Martin Collins hit the nail on the head when he touched on the fact that we are willing to work with local authorities. Somebody from one of the authorities, or it might have been Senator Ó Murchú who mentioned that we should have a collaborative approach and we have that. We are at every venue and forum. With our very limited resources we punch far above our weight. We prepare for meetings, we turn up and I am here as a Traveller today to say that my voice is not heard. People’s voices are not heard. The Travellers on the panel here with me would probably say the same. We are working at national level but people at local level need accommodation; they are in a very vulnerable position. They try their best to liaise with the local authorities and have their voices heard. In one area in north Cork I have witnessed how over many years people have been involved in consultation processes over and over again. They are promised accommodation and then told there is no budget for the accommodation. A bit of innovation and creativity is needed.

One of the biggest barriers to the development and implementation of Traveller accommodation, education and every other area is the lack of will and understanding. This needs to be named here in our Oireachtas. However hard the officials work, and I appreciate they are working, Travellers on the ground, their organisations and representatives are working doubly hard with fewer resources and are still not being heard. We would meet the officials more than half way and always have done so because our people are in crisis. Our suicide rate is six times the national average because of our living conditions. We are a people in crisis and we are fighting for our lives. As Martin Collins said this is Traveller pride week and we celebrate it with pride.

The Government has an assimilation policy. It can be called any other name but that is effectively what is happening. Our people are being forced into estates and private rented accommodation when there is legislation to protect them and money is sent back although people's needs are not met. We have told people over and over again what our needs are. We have been consulted to death yet we are still being forced into private rented accommodation which is no solution. In the Irish Traveller Movement law centre and the accommodation team and no doubt in the local groups we find that after one or two months in private rented accommodation young couples or families are evicted. They come to us for support because neighbours do not want them there. Their children cannot put their toys in the yard, and are being bullied and called names. They are deemed a problem from the minute they walk into the estate. Private rented accommodation is not a solution for Travellers and that needs to be heard.