James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Gabh mo leithscéal. I had a number of other people whom I would have liked to name, but I cannot do so. There was an issue the other day involving a Wicklow hurler who had received a great deal of racial abuse because he was a member of the Traveller community. There are positive aspects, including "Norah's Traveller Academy", Norah Casey's television show on RTE, although the Traveller community is often ridiculed in other programmes such as "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding". However, there is an element in the Travelling community which is not really reported on or spoken about in public; that is, the dark underbelly of criminality. I visited the Natural History Museum next door to Leinster House where I saw that the rhino horns had been removed from the exhibits to prevent them from being taken in a theft operation being run by Traveller gangs. There is a certain propensity for violence. It was reported this morning that a 17 year old girl and a 16 year old boy were being married off in a pre-arranged marriage. I taught as a Traveller support teacher in a school and young girls were coming into my class at 12 and 13 years of age who knew whom they would be marrying. That would not be accepted in any other element of society.