Mr. David Joyce:

It is quite hard to understand. The real challenge is not so much that organisations like this commission or Traveller organisations have come before this committee to try to get an answer. The challenge is to the State, including the Government and Parliament, to explain why it is not happening. International committees that have studied this and that we have obligations to report to as a State, are basing their assessments on objective criteria which they believe Travellers will fill. The commission's position is coming from the objective criteria to define ethnicity. Those who refuse to acknowledge or accept the reality of Traveller ethnicity perhaps need to explain why. It is not for us to be able to explain to the committee why it is not happening. I would like the objections explained much more clearly. Perfectly valid arguments have been put forward in the past, such as does it cost more? Do Travellers constitute an ethnic group by objective criteria? What does it mean? Will it be an extra cost to the State? These are reasonable and legitimate concerns. They have been addressed consistently over recent years. The previous committee considered that. I believe there is advice from the Attorney General as well which states that there are no legal or extra-legal implications. The challenge is for those who continually prevaricate on the question to explain why they prevaricate. It is not for me, the commission or the Traveller organisations to say the State should recognise Traveller ethnicity. It is for those who are denying it to explain that denial. If there are other valid reasons they can be addressed but the real valid reasons have been addressed in recent years and the challenge is back to those who are denying it.