Ms Bridgie Casey:

I thank the committee for inviting us to discuss the issues affecting my community. I am a member of the Traveller community and have worked on Traveller accommodation over a number of years, and now work with Cena. For people who do not know what Cena is, it is the word for home in Traveller language. Cena is an approved housing body, AHB, that is working for and with Travellers to address critical accommodation needs.

My people, as Travellers, continue to suffer the worst living conditions of any section of the population. A large number of my people are living in overcrowded settings with a lack of basic services and in unsafe and despicable conditions. The ongoing accommodation crisis has a knock-on effect from a health perspective, especially on mental health, with a suicide rate that is seven times higher than that of the settled population. This also has to be seen from the perspective of members of my community making any meaningful progression through education or employment.

Responses to this ongoing accommodation crisis have to date fallen short and have regularly failed to meet the needs of my people, a fact acknowledged both at Irish and European level. Accommodation policy to date has discriminated against and isolated our community. This has contributed to social problems, dysfunctional communities, social divisions and prejudices that are deeply ingrained in Irish society.

Cena was established by Travellers and is Traveller-led in the firm belief that more effective, sustainable and just solutions can be found if the community itself is given the space to formulate and implement its own accommodation responses. Cena is committed to building homes that are culturally appropriate in communities that are cohesive.

My colleague, Mr. Dillon, will discuss in-depth some of the learning points about Cena and solutions that it brings to the table on Traveller culturally appropriate accommodation. I thank the committee.