Ms Bridget Kelly:

I thank the Deputy for her questions. On the Traveller accommodation plans, while I could stand corrected, I cannot say that there is a local authority which has fully implemented a Traveller accommodation plan. As I said, I could stand corrected and I cannot give a certain answer. From our work and linking in with our local members, which include more than 30 Traveller organisations, I know that similar concerns come up across the board about failure to deliver on the Traveller accommodation plans. We see significant increases in homeless Traveller families, who are staying much longer in homeless services.

We also see that some people are finding it hard to access private rented accommodation. The housing assistance payment seems to be a way of housing Travellers at the moment but that is not the solution. As I said earlier, some families want to live in housing and we have families who do not want to live in housing. When families look for private rented accommodation, then because of their identity, they find it hard to get the accommodation. They experience racism and discrimination. That includes Traveller women too. I was an accommodation worker with the Galway Traveller Movement. I worked first-hand with many families in Galway city on accommodation. I witnessed some of these women trying to get private rented accommodation. The landlords are cute in how they go about it, since they will not say it is because people are Travellers, but the women with families know it is. Indirect discrimination is going on too.

As I said earlier, Traveller women experience racism and discrimination, particularly in accessing pubs, restaurants and hotels, as well as in trying to access private rented accommodation. That is the reality for us. It is having a negative impact on Traveller women, men and young children. Racism and discrimination need to be challenged. The recent riot in Dublin should not have happened and it involved racism and discrimination. We have been pushing around the hate Bill. It is important that the Government moves on that because it is the only way we will see racism and discrimination addressed for the Traveller community and for all other ethnic minority and vulnerable groups that experience racism and discrimination.