Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 557: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the criticism of the Government by the International Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination over its policy of refusing to recognise Travellers as a distinct ethnic group; and if he will reconsider or otherwise review this policy in view of the concerns raised. [23971/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I note with interest the observations of the Committee for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, CERD, in respect of the issue of recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group. As the Deputy is aware, the CERD defines "racial discrimination" as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin.

The Government is committed to challenging discrimination against Travellers and has defined membership of the Traveller community as a separate ground on which it is unlawful to discriminate under equality legislation. This was not meant to provide a lesser level of protection to Travellers compared to that afforded to members of ethnic minorities. On the contrary, the separate identification of Travellers in equality legislation guarantees that they are explicitly protected.

The Government accepts the right of Travellers to their cultural identity, regardless of whether it may be properly described as an ethnic group and is committed to applying all the protections afforded to ethnic minorities by the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination equally to Travellers.

However, the Government did not conclude that Travellers are ethnically different from the majority of Irish people. The point also needs to be made that the Government is not alone in making this assessment. The 1995 task force report on the Traveller community, which consisted of Departments, civil society and Traveller representatives did not recommend that Travellers should be identified as an ethnic minority.