Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care

Mental Health Services: Discussion (Resumed)

1:30 pm

Mr. Patrick Reilly:

In regard to being invisible, my colleague, Ms Quirke, mentioned the lack of an ethnic identifier. I know that I have probably spoken too much about this, but I feel it has to be said.

I sat here a couple of weeks ago with the CHOs for almost three and a half hours and there was no mention of Travellers in that context. Decisions are made for Travellers and they do not have a voice in it. The lack of a voice has a bad impact on ground, and we see that. If ten men are making decisions for women with no women present it is not going lead to a good decision. That is what we mean by invisible. I do not mind if it is me at the table or someone else. Once there is a Traveller voice there I will be happy. Who knows Travellers better than Travellers? I hope that answers the question.