Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. This is an issue that is very close to my heart and something I have been very passionate about for a long time. Recently, I have worked in particular with women's groups from the Traveller community in my other job with the RISE Foundation, which is the organisation I set up. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had in group work. The women were so inspiring. They were powerful and, really and truly, I cannot describe the empowerment that came from them. Given the heartache they have gone through in their lives, I learned so much from them. I got to learn first-hand of the excitement and enthusiasm from the Traveller community when important steps were taken, such as the recognition of Traveller ethnicity in March 2017 or the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill, which Senator Kelleher introduced to the House in October. I commend my colleague on the phenomenal work and passion she puts into working with the Traveller community. It is a very important legislation and I hope we can progress it very quickly.

Speaking to the Traveller community, one can also see the huge disappointment and, in many cases, anger at the persistent disadvantage, discrimination and barriers that still exist for members of that community. That is the one thing I learned from those amazing women. We have to be honest and recognise that these cases still outnumber the positive ones to an alarming extent. It is heartbreaking to hear the individual stories which I have heard and to read the figures that have been presented to these Houses far too many times. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has shown Travellers are almost ten times more likely to experience discrimination, and this is particularly clear when trying to access services like housing and private rental accommodation. Homelessness is a stain on the conscience of this country. If we drill down into the figures, however, we can see it is distributed unequally. While Travellers are less than 1% of the population, they are 9% of the homeless population, which is shocking. Overall, homelessness is roughly ten times higher in the Traveller community, as Senator Kelleher mentioned.

Over time, this sort of inequality is compounded and reinforced unless it is properly addressed. It is not rocket science. Poor and substandard accommodation has such a big impact on physical and mental health, the capacity to find a job and the ability to engage in education. In the broadest sense, it stops people from playing a full and equal role in society. Everything is made difficult. Every single step they have to go through is a struggle, down to the most basic thing like a child's capacity to bring a friend home from school. This is not the shape of any republic worthy of the name.

It is in this context that we assess things like recognition of Traveller ethnicity. That was such a fantastic location and a hugely positive step, and I will never forget the presentations from members of the Traveller community to the Committee on Justice and Equality. However, it is not enough to take that step and then see little change in the material conditions of everyday life for Travellers. We need to step up in this regard and housing is a huge part of that. Since the first Traveller accommodation programme in 2000, there have been widespread failings, as the Minister of State recognised and as was recognised in the Government review in 2017, which found substantial underdelivery, with only 68% of units delivered. There was also a huge underspend, with €55 million allocated for accommodation left unused. We have to stop and consider that figure. Of all the statistics presented to the House today, that is the most incredible. It is staggering to think that €55 million of State funding was set aside to be spent on housing for a very marginalised group in the middle of a housing crisis, and it was left unspent. It is simply not good enough.

The relevant Departments need to speak to the local councils responsible for this. We cannot ignore the fact that, in Government reviews and in testimony from Travellers themselves, we see the impact of racism and discriminatory attitudes, often from political representatives, in blocking these services. It shows that allocating resources alone is not enough. If politicians are still willing to trade on prejudice to win votes, the situation will not change. As political representatives, we need to come to this from a place of equality and compassion. I am aware the Minister of State is very compassionate on this issue. I call on all of us to listen to the submissions from the Traveller community on this issue and to ensure these sorts of figures are not repeated. The reality is that if this does not change and people are left in substandard, overcrowded accommodation, we are going to see a repeat of the awful tragedy at Carrickmines. We all know ten people died that day, including children, It will happen again unless public representatives are willing to fix it.