Mr. James Stokes:

Go raibh maith agat. Tá mé an-sásta a bheith ag caint leis an gcoiste inniu. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to address the Seanad today.

Statistics paint a clear picture. Some 90% of Travellers report widespread mental health issues in the community, with a staggering 11% of Travellers dying by suicide. This is over seven times higher than the rate among the general population. Suicide has touched 82% of Travellers, with 44% experiencing it within their immediate or extended family. Additionally, 36% of Irish people admit to avoiding interaction with Travellers. This indicates a troubling level of discrimination. Shockingly, 97% of Irish people would not accept a Traveller as a member of their family, 80% would not accept a Traveller as a friend and 44% would not want Travellers to be members of their community. The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. We are in a crisis right now. These statistics paint a devastating picture of despair and loss. Each statistic represents a life cut short, a family shattered and a community in mourning.

It is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. We cannot afford to wait idly by, hoping the next tragedy will not touch our own doorstep. It is evident that successive Governments have failed to address the systemic challenges faced by Travellers. This is not a matter of political rhetoric but the grim reality of our times. Something needs to change. A national Traveller mental health strategy must be implemented now.

Allow me to share my story. My name is James Stokes. I am an 18-year-old Irish Traveller and I am running in local authority elections in Newbridge, County Kildare. I attended Scoil Mhuire for primary school and St. Conleth’s Community College for secondary school. Last June, I completed my leaving certificate examinations and I am now pursuing a degree in primary education at Maynooth University. Before he passed away, my grandfather was a respected local businessman who owned his own furniture shop. My uncle continues to run the family business, which sponsors a local football team. We are rooted in our community and we contribute positively. I have educated myself and secured employment as an education support peer worker. I have fulfilled what society expects of me. Despite my and my family's efforts, it is disheartening to see that prejudice against Travellers remains deeply entrenched.

Like everyone else in society, Travellers face the same challenges in our everyday lives. For example, I am a young person and I work a part-time job, as I said, and I am in education. Yet, housing is not an option for me in the near future. It is not an option for any of my friends. Rents are crazy high and the prospect of ever getting places of our own is like looking at a mirage. It is not just us. It feels like everyone across this island, Traveller or not, is feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. To be honest, there are so many issues that impact everyone, including Travellers, that must be addressed. We can start with better forward planning and by allocating necessary funds for Travellers, instead of continuously cutting funding. We need better future planning in relation to population growth in our communities. In Newbridge, for example, I am calling for the provision of additional Traveller-specific accommodation. Even if we got that right now, there would be no school places for those children and these new families would not have GP services. We need, therefore, to match our population growth with facilities.

I want the Ireland I live in now, and the Ireland that my children will live in, and I share this desire with my late grandfather, to be a united Ireland, with a functional government capable of addressing the issues of today, such as the Traveller mental health crisis, Travellers' rights as a whole, housing, education, climate change or whatever it may be. A united Ireland would be a fresh start and a chance for everyone on the island, Travellers, non-Travellers and everyone else, to come together to address the most critical challenges together with unity of purpose. I say this as a proud Irish Traveller and Irish republican. The Irish Government should establish a citizens' assembly on Irish unity as soon as possible to plan for a future where we will all be equal, including everyone in this room, a future where racism against Irish Travellers would be a thing of the past and not something that is so widely accepted.

I will end with this. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak here today about Travellers but the struggle against racism is not exclusive to those of us here as Irish Travellers. It is crucial that we recognise this fact and stand against all forms of racism at home and abroad. I strongly believe this includes the systemic oppression that Palestinian people face right now. Standing together in solidarity strengthens our collective voice, so we must offer our solidarity to the Palestinians currently struggling through a brutal racist genocide and advocate for justice and equality for all. The world we want needs to be a better one, so let us come together and make it one. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.