Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In 2019, when I was mayor of South Dublin County Council, I launched a report on Traveller mental health by the Clondalkin Travellers development group. The report found that nearly 80% of Travellers surveyed in south Dublin stated either they or someone in their family had suffered from depression. This compares with just 8% of the general population. The report identified the factors impacting negatively on Traveller mental health as loneliness, discrimination, drug addiction, family break-up, children's mental health and financial hardships. Why do I mention that? It is 2022 and the findings of the report before the House show that very little has changed since 2019. I acknowledge the work of the Oireachtas committee in producing the report. In particular, I thank the Chairman, Senator Flynn, my colleagues Deputies Ellis and Mitchell, and the Vice Chairman, Deputy Ó Cuív.

The report outlines there is a crisis in mental health in the Traveller community. I note that 90% of Travellers agreed that mental health problems were common in their community, with suicide being the cause of 11% of Traveller deaths. I will repeat that. Suicide is the cause of 11% of Traveller deaths. That is seven times higher than the rate among the general population. While we can all get lost in statistics, behind each one of those percentages there is a man, woman or child with hopes, dreams and aspirations just like anybody else. As Senator Flynn stated, we need a national strategy for Traveller mental health and we need to have all the underpinning requirements in that strategy.

The report outlines the causes and conditions affecting mental health within the Traveller community. Travellers experience racism and exclusion daily. Deficient and substandard living conditions such as those referred to by Deputy Mitchell, as well as precarious accommodation and homelessness, have a severe detrimental impact on mental health. Lower educational outcomes have a damaging impact on employment opportunities, while chronic unemployment then leads to negative consequences on mental health.

In my previous role, which involved working with people from marginalised communities, I had a lot of engagement with Exchange House. It delivers mental health supports in a culturally appropriate way to the Traveller community. One of the recommendations of the report is that increased funding should be provided for the delivery of peer-led Traveller-specific mental health supports through the Traveller primary healthcare team. I know the work the Traveller primary healthcare team does in my area. It is one of the unsung groups that were not recognised during Covid. It was at the forefront, going into the Traveller community to deliver healthcare and advice, including in respect of Covid, and it needs to be recognised for that.

We also need projects in local areas to provide timely interventions in the context of poor Traveller mental health.

Early intervention is key. We need to have things in place for young Traveller men and women in respect of suicide prevention, as has been mentioned. I am a bit like Senator Flynn, as I am a wheeler dealer and she has my word that I will be putting my name to this report. I congratulate her and all of our colleagues again on such a fabulous report.

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