Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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222. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality in the context that the national Traveller/Roma integration strategy is a living document, the way he will ensure that the strategy will be progressed in response to the European Commission’s recent assessment and in line with the common basic principles on Roma inclusion to immediately initiate dialogue with Traveller organisations. [35811/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently collating reports on progress achieved in relation to Traveller actions which are in the National Traveller/Roma Integration Strategy with a view to updating the strategy. It should be noted that Traveller representatives are active participants on National Committees dealing with policy and, in this way, are involved in the development of policy.

In relation to Roma specifically, my Department has been conducting an exercise, since April, to gather available information from Government Departments and other public bodies who interact directly with Roma in Ireland on projects that are in progress, focusing on the four key integration areas: access to education, employment, housing and healthcare, with a view to identifying Roma specific issues and updating the National Traveller/Roma Integration Strategy. Officials of my Department would be happy to engage with Traveller organisations in this context in the Autumn when this initial research is complete.