Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

This is Traveller Pride Week. In recognition of this, I request that we have a debate on Traveller rights in Ireland. Traveller rights are human rights. As a result, this is an issue we should all be speaking about across the Oireachtas. The Traveller community has a rich and resilient culture that has endured and contributed a great amount to Irish life, despite generations of exclusion, discrimination and erasure. On Monday, I attended the launch of a photography exhibition called "Unfiltered" in Kilkenny by Gypsy Ray. It explored and captured the lives of the Kilkenny Traveller community over the last decade.

While this week rightly honours the Traveller identity, we do need to acknowledge the continuous challenges the Traveller community faces. Just 1% of Travellers progress to third level education. Life expectancy for Travellers remains shockingly low compared with the settled population, as much as 15 years lower. Suicide rates are six times higher among Travellers than the settled population. Those are pretty grim statistics. Worse still, even when funding is allocated to address inequality, it has often gone unused. The Irish Traveller Movement has highlighted the persistent underspending of Traveller-specific budgets by local authorities and Departments. This is shocking in light of the inequality the community faces.

I will spend the rest of my time today acknowledging the work of local Kilkenny poet Samantha Joyce by reading her poem "Pavee Lackeen", which speaks volumes to the discrimination and resilience of the Traveller community. It reads:

I am a proud Pavee Lackeen,

even though you may not see.

When it comes to discrimination, it ain’t no game with me.

I am a proud Pavee Lackeen, can’t you see?

Despite the animosity, I’m a proud Pavee Lackeen.

I wish the world would seek to understand me.

I am proud to be me regardless of society,

and what faces me.

I know I’ve got the backing of my community.

Being individual is hard, but I will always seek to be unique

in a world where being different is wrong .

I was always taught to stand out and be strong.

My life sometimes prevents me,

But I will always fight for what is right

And for my right to not have to fight

to be me.

In a world where my unity unites me

I strive to be the best version

of Pavee Lackeen Me.