Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is around a programme for Government commitment to deliver on principles of social inclusion for the Traveller community and a commitment by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with responsibility for equality, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, that Traveller ethnicity would be a reality. He rightly said this did not need legislation or a referendum, and his commitment came after the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality recommended that we recognise Travellers as an ethnic community. This is supported by the UN and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC.

I set out that stall in light of the evictions of families from the Traveller community in Dundalk, which runs contrary to the Government commitment. This process of evicting Traveller families from a halting site-----

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