Mr. Oein de Bhairdúin:

I thank the committee members for inviting the national LGBT Traveller and Roma action group to attend the meeting, with specific recognition of Senator Kelleher, who campaigned so positively for creating this space for inclusive dialogue. Our aim today is to give the committee an understanding of the specific challenges facing LGBT Travellers and the potential space available for creative, empowering and progressive endeavours that could, and we believe should, be undertaken.

The LGBT Traveller and Roma action group provides growing supports and advocacy towards, within and throughout associated groups on issues raised throughout our community. Community-led responses, training sessions, individual and family supports directly involve our advocacy work. It is these experiences that inform our submission and input today.

In addition to the general statistics and understanding of the issues and barriers experienced by Travellers, about which committee members and other guests have spoken so eloquently and horrifically today, LGBT Travellers experience an additional compression of these issues due to factors such as taboo, internalised and external discrimination, fear, lack of awareness, lack of discussion on sexuality, sexual health, accessible and culturally aware avenues of support and the likelihood that local organisations will have family members associated. This often results in hesitation to engage.

The national Traveller health study did not include LGBT Travellers but two studies were conducted by the Clondalkin Travellers development group, one in 2012 and the other in 2019. The results reveal deeply concerning statistics on the standards of mental health among LGBT Travellers. In 2012, 42% of those surveyed had a history of self-harm within the previous year and a total of 33% had suicide ideation and enactment within the previous year. A total of 83% of these stated this had a direct relationship with their LGBT identity. The average age of suicide attempt was 17.4 and the average age of coming out - for the few who did - was 19.7. In 2019, 100 Travellers were surveyed in the Clondalkin, Palmerstown and Lucan area. Among those surveyed eight identified as LGBT, 46 reported they did not know any LGBT people, 56 stated that being LGBT was something to be ashamed of and 84 stated they would not be interested in LGBT awareness training. We understand this is a small sampling but it highlights some of the issues we face within the community alongside many other pressures that Travellers experience outside the community.

As a group we recognise the very legitimate past, ongoing and upcoming support options available for LGBT Travellers. In the past year alone, along with LGBT Ireland and the Department of Justice and Equality, we launched a support poster and a series of training videos and have undertaken specific training with Traveller organisations. However, there is so much more to be done.

I want to take this opportunity to make some recommendations. The objectives of the Department of Justice and Equality's national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy and the Department of Children and Youth Affair's LGBTI+ national youth strategy include accepting and protecting LGBT Travellers in their own communities and in wider Irish society, particularly with regard to encouraging and supporting links; the development of inclusion strategies, training modules and so forth; as well as challenging homophobia and transphobia with the support of Traveller families. However, the conduits through which these objectives are to be undertaken need clarity, resourcing and reinforcement if they are to be realised in any way.

We strongly recommend that a national LGBT Traveller and Roma awareness campaign that includes Traveller organisations, community groups and primary health networks be created and set up, as well as avenues for Travellers who live outside of these networks to be included, supported and led by LGBT Traveller voices. We also recommend that in the current draft of the national LGBTI inclusion strategy that is to be implemented in the near future, the measures to address intersectional discrimination that impact LGBTQI Travellers be strengthened to include families.

While there is a deficit in research and statistics, it is clear that the impact of the young marital age, which is 18.9, has resulted in a significant number of LGBT Travellers being married. The Department of Health's national sexual health strategy makes no mention of Travellers. With this strategy due for renewal in 2020, we recommend the inclusion of LGBT communities including LGBT Travellers. We also recommend that all governmental materials that include LGBT issues specifically mention LGBT Travellers not only as a means to provide visibility but also to recognise specific issues and barriers that are encountered by LGBT Travellers. We also recommend support for the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill. As many LGBT Travellers experience a sense of disassociation and a genuine sense of distance from our culture and community, increased positive awareness and understanding can only benefit LGBT Travellers greatly, as well as our community and society as a whole.

We also recommend that all community based networks, addiction and suicide prevention programmes should specifically include LGBT Travellers and that further research into mental health, substance abuse and a combination of support factors for LGBT Travellers be undertaken.

I thank the committee for taking this time. I wish to take this opportunity to really impress on people that we need to act as soon as possible. If we are to turn the tide on stigma, social isolation, discrimination and the all too common suicide, now is the time.