Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The events earlier were unfortunate. I wish to speak about a woman who was excluded due to the oversubscription this evening. This is Catherine Joyce who has fought for approximately 30 years alongside many people who are here this evening for Travellers' right in the Irish Traveller Movement and the Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group. She stated Traveller ethnicity is the first step in acknowledging that denial of Traveller culture and that Travellers now look forward to working in partnership with the Government on the implementation of the Traveller and Roma strategy and working out the implications of this much needed announcement. She also stated it is absolutely vital that future legislation and policy to ensure Travellers are afforded equal rights as citizens of the State are tied in with this announcement today.

Today is an historic day for the Traveller community and it is long overdue. It has been fought for by many people over many decades. Malcolm X, who died 50 years ago, stated: "Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything ... you take it." This has been the experience of Travellers in this country. I must take up the Taoiseach on a point. His speech euphemised the situation. He stated Travellers enjoy the same human rights. Perhaps they do under the law, but not in reality and this has been extremely clear to them.

I want to mention Traveller culture because Travellers have not had their culture recognised in the way we know they should have with regard to their language, identity and music. They have been treated in a shameful manner since the foundation of the State. Politicians have used divide and rule. I hope this is the beginning of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and some other Independents no longer opposing in particular Traveller accommodation behind the scenes, because this is what I saw when I was councillor on Fingal County Council. We have all seen the leaflets produced throughout the country. This should be the end of it. This has to be not just something in theory but also in practice, and this message should be sent to councillors in local authority chambers.

Some so-called journalists who have written very bigoted articles in the past should take note today. I commend other journalists, such as Kitty Holland who is here this evening and who has played a sterling role in highlighting aspects of discrimination against Travellers. We must say that anti-Traveller bigotry is the acceptable racism in this country and this continues to be the case. While racism will be called out against other people often it is not called out when it is against Travellers, who identify with racism they see in other countries.

We must acknowledge the reality that Travellers still face the worst discrimination. The suicide rate is seven times higher than the national average for men, while the 87% unemployment rate among men and the 81% rate among women speak volumes about the marginalisation of Travellers since the State began. One third do not have access to basic sanitation and the death rate among those aged under 25 is incredibly high among Travellers. A total of 10% die before the age of two. These are statistics one would see in Calcutta, and in many cases Travellers are still living with them.

8 o’clock

What is going to be done about it? We have to signal that today marks the end of the vicious cuts that were taken by the previous Government and the one before that to resource teaching for Travellers, that is, teachers who communicated between the school and Traveller families, which was scrapped. All the other attacks made against Travellers also have to end.

It is welcome that Travellers have become radicalised and have sent a message that they will no longer accept racism and discrimination. A protest took place at Fingal County Council in Blanchardstown a couple of years ago and it overwhelmingly comprised young Travellers. That is why we have been brought to this point tonight and I say to Travellers, "Keep up the fight".

See this speech in context