Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to share time with Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. Is ócáid den scoth é seo. Déanaim comhghairdeachas le Lucht Siúil na tíre as ucht an aitheantas atá bronnta orthu inniu i nDáil Éireann ar son Comhaltaí na Parlaiminte seo. Tá an lá seo tuillte agus is ócáid ceiliúrtha é do Lucht Siúil na tíre. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I warmly welcome today's formal recognition and declaration by An Taoiseach on behalf of everyone in Dáil Éireann of Traveller ethnicity. I welcome all the representatives from the Traveller community who have travelled far and wide to attend Dáil Éireann. I was delighted to meet many whom I have met in different contexts in the past, particularly health and education. I welcome them and congratulate them on this achievement and the realisation of their ethnic identity in Dáil Éireann today. In many ways, today should challenge us as legislators and representatives to realise the aspirations and ambitions of the people here and of the Traveller community for the younger generations so that they can be fully part of Irish society without discrimination and exclusion and meaningfully participate in employment, education, health and all the various services.

I recognise the work of the Traveller organisations that have called for the acknowledgement of their unique identity and place in Irish society for the past 30 years. This first step will bring positive momentum to addressing the damaging impact of marginalisation, exclusion and discrimination against Travellers. As recent research and work has shown, Travellers have been a distinct part of our history for as long as written records exist. They are today just as they always have been - a very important, distinct and valuable element of the broader mosaic of Irish culture and society. Yet there has also been an inescapable history of incomprehension, distrust and far too often, tension between the rest of society and this ethnic community. It is a depressing reality that the overwhelming tendency has been for us to discuss the Traveller community here and in the wider public sphere at times of tragedy or in the context of issues defined as problems and challenges. The most important thing we can do is to move towards showing respect for cultural difference within our overall identity and to understand that recognising the distinct ethnic identities of Irish people does not undermine Irishness. Rather it strengthens Irishness.

Over the past two decades in particular, there have been important developments in terms of both the legal recognition of the rights of Travellers and the reform of State services designed to help Travellers to benefit from wider opportunities. I have been part of Governments that enacted clear legal protections for Travellers in the Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Act. I have also been engaged in targeted strategies which have made some difference in terms of tackling health inequalities and significantly increasing educational achievement but not enough by any yardstick. I am delighted to have met Missy Collins and Rosaleen McDonagh who worked on the Traveller health strategy committee - I will not say many years ago but some years ago - and who had a very significant input into that strategy. There were many challenges in officialdom against a specific focused Traveller health strategy. The degree of challenges we had to get through to get that over the line was unacceptable. An awful lot more needs to be done in education in terms of completion of national and second-level education in particular. We must also remember that only 1% of Travellers go on to third-level education. I recently met a young Traveller named T. J. Hogan who told me that he was one of three young Travellers in Cork Institute of Technology. One of the three was his sister. He is an outstanding individual and today is a great day for him because he came to talk to me about this recognition but also about how we can do more. I think he would like a career in politics. That is what this day is about - that it leads to young people getting involved in politics. I was delighted to meet Ian McDonagh, a young man in the Public Gallery who won the Jack Restan Display Award in the recent Young Scientist competition. I met him at this competition. He has a brilliant, inventive mind and a great future ahead of him. I am delighted he can be here today as a young man witnessing this historic occasion.

We all have a duty in this House to facilitate and encourage events like this to enable members of the Traveller community to progress through our education system and secure employment. As we know, according to the all-party report, Traveller mortality rates are still three times the national average and suicide rates are six times the national average. We need to make a meaningful impact on those issues. The recognition of the distinct ethnicity of Travellers represents and should represent a watershed in how we as a State approach these key issues. People will say that there has been a de factorecognition of Traveller ethnicity. I do not think this is strictly true. What we have had up to now is a recognition that many people by virtue of being Travellers need to be protected from discrimination but what we have not had is a positive statement, which we have had today from the Taoiseach and the House, that we recognise and value the fact that Travellers represent a distinct ethnic group in our society. That will have positive impacts, particularly in terms of giving the community greater confidence and security and ensuring that this is the end once and for all of any suggestion or implication that the objective of State policy is to dissolve a distinct ethnic group into wider society. Many people from the community have told me that this recognition will help to reinforce self-pride and reflects a dual identity - one that is maintained by many with Irish roots in other countries. We must avoid the patronising and damaging stereotyping of Travellers that comes from defining this community solely in terms of challenges. I believe we can create a much more positive story into the future.

I acknowledge the work of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights in 2014 and the recent all-party Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality. Their reports have been comprehensive, inclusive and important catalysts for this declaration of ethnicity. It is entirely right that we have reached a stage of formally recognising the ethnicity of Travellers based on a non-partisan approach and reaching consensus. It is about being willing to recognise and value difference and there are many within this House whose work we should acknowledge. On our side, I thank Deputies Jim O'Callaghan and Jack Chambers for the detailed work they did for our parliamentary party. However, it is not about politicians this evening. It is about those who lobbied hard and who brought this day about through persuasion, professionalism and dogged campaigning. Pavee Point, the Irish Traveller Movement, the National Traveller Women's Forum, Mincéirs Whiden and others have worked incredibly hard to bring this about. We are thankful to them for developing this. I was particularly impressed by what Bernard Joyce said when he summed up what today means to him as a Traveller. He said that:

Ethnicity is not the same as race, nationality or place of birth. Recognising Traveller ethnicity will not make us less Irish. It will, however, acknowledge our dual identity of being both Irish and Traveller, similar to Irish Americans and African Americans. Having my identity recognised, defined and included would enhance my pride of place in Irish society my sense of being part of rather than separate from it.

That sums up what today is all about. I congratulate all involved for bringing it about.

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