Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With respect, the Taoiseach does not take my point about inequality. These people are treated in a shameful way. Babies on the side of the road, no toilet facilities, no water, no beds, no prospects and no hope. That is how they are treated. It is good that the flag is flying at half mast, but this week the Connors family will bury loved ones: Thomas, Sylvia and their children Jim, Christy and Mary. There is nowhere to live. The masses will be on Thursday, the burials will be on Friday and the families will still be homeless. That is our responsibility.

On other issues in the past, the Taoiseach has shown leadership. He stood up and said that this was what we needed to do. Our society can be defined by the treatment of these citizens. The talks with the residents of Rockville Drive continue without resolution ten days later. It is time for an intervention. These families will only start to pick up the pieces when the funerals are finished, yet they still have nowhere to go to try to heal, mourn their loved ones and rebuild their lives.

I am suggesting a forum in this State, as there is none. I suggest that it be an all-Ireland forum, because at least some Travellers are nomadic. In the North, they have the status of an ethnic minority. In England, Scotland and Wales, they have the same status, but not here. I am not suggesting that this would be a cure for all of the problems, but the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality made a number of recommendations that still have not been acted upon 18 months later. I ask the Taoiseach to intervene and act on this issue.

I will return to what I was suggesting, namely, the bringing together of whomever the Taoiseach believes is appropriate. I have just made suggestions. The consultation must clearly involve the Travellers themselves, along with all the other responsible agencies and the Government, to deal with what the Taoiseach said was an issue of inequality. Some good can come out of these ten dreadful deaths, but only if the Government acts.

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