Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his response to the recent report from Pavee Point entitled Travelling with Austerity outlining the severe impact of cutbacks on travellers, travellers projects and services. [28227/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The report referred to by the Deputy is very recent, published in April 2013, and it presents statistics and associated conclusions to found what seems to be its basic premise that there has been a ‘dramatic disinvestment’ by the State in the Traveller community in the past five years. Whilst it is accepted that Traveller funding has been reduced, funding has had to be reduced across the board due to our economic circumstances and there is no question of any such 'dramatic disinvestment'. The report has been examined in a preliminary way in my Department and I understand that issues regarding possible inaccuracies in the report have been raised with Pavee Point by my own Department and by the Department of Education and Skills.

However I also understand that Pavee Point have been invited to make a presentation on the report to the High Level Group on Travellers, which is chaired by my colleague, Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, and is attended by senior officials from the relevant Government Departments and agencies. I would expect that a full discussion of the issues raised in the report will take place at that time. Under the circumstances, I am not in a position to comment further on this report at this time.