Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Many of us across the House, rightly, were up in arms about the crass remarks made about Travellers by one of the recent candidates in the presidential election, but it is not enough for us to decry negative stereotyping and hate speech. We have to take seriously the issue of Traveller margninalisation. The national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy report states the rate of unemployment among Travellers is 80%, which affects a staggering four out of five. Only one in eight Travellers, or just 12%, completes secondary education. By any yardstick, they are shocking statistics. If they described a minority group in another jurisdiction, we would, rightly, be concerned and voice our views about it, but we continue to allow that situation to prevail. I am not persuaded by any argument to the effect that more is paid in social welfare to Travellers than to others or that because they have large families, there is a disincentive to work. Other large families enter paid employment and welfare payments are designed to support families in work.

There are other issues behind the statistics, including discrimination. Perhaps there is also the lack of a clear vision for the role of Travellers in the economy and society. Across the board, not just for Travellers, there is a decline in work opportunities for people without formal qualifications or skills, yet formal education does not work for everybody. We need robust alternatives such as apprenticeships for those who drop out of school at second level. Secondary school education is mandatory up to the age of 16 years or at least until one attempt is made to sit the junior certificate examinations. Should that opt-out be removed and an age limit applied in order that everybody would be required to stay in education until he or she is 16 years old? Will the Government consider whether specific apprenticeship schemes for young Travellers should be instituted, resourced and put in place across the country? Will it consider other forms of training and skill development for Travellers and impose the same mandatory attendance requirement based on age as that applied at second level? However, all of the training in the world will not make a difference if there are no jobs and businesses open, available and willing to employ Travellers. Will the Tánaiste outline the Government's vision for the role of Travellers in our society? There has been much hoopla about ethnicity in the past year. It is a very important milestone, but it has to have real meaning. What specific robust measures will be taken to change the disastrous and unacceptable statistics for employment and education among Travellers?

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