Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on equality, I congratulate members of the Irish Traveller community who are here today and those around the country on the fact that today, for the first time, the State has recognised their unique ethnicity. I commend the Taoiseach on taking on that responsibility on behalf of the State in recognising the unique ethnicity of Irish Travellers.

I commend the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, under the chairmanship of Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, that held hearings at the end of last year and which produced a report in January this year calling on the Government to recognise the unique ethnicity of Irish Travellers and I welcome the work that was done by that committee. I also recognise the role played by its predecessor, the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, under the chairmanship of the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy David Stanton, for also producing a report in respect of the State recognising the unique ethnicity of Irish Travellers.

It is important, now that we have acknowledged the unique ethnicity of Travellers, that we go further as a state. The report produced by the ESRI in January this year entitled, A Social Portrait of Travellers in Ireland, reveals that there are many challenges that not only Travellers face, but that the State faces, to ensure Travellers have the same rights as other citizens. We need to ensure, in respect of education, health care and housing, that Travellers have full citizenship and are given full rights in the same way as every other citizen in this country.

I again congratulate Travellers on the recognition of their ethnicity.

See this speech in context