Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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523. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will support the rights of Roma children as a matter of priority. [16077/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits the Government to promoting greater coordination and integration of delivery of services to the Traveller and migrant community across Government, using available resources more effectively to deliver on principles of social inclusion, particularly in the area of education.

The Department of Justice & Equality, which has lead policy responsibility in this area, prepared Ireland’s National Traveller / Roma Integration Strategy in 2011 against the background of the May 2011 EU Council Conclusions on an EU framework for national Roma integration strategies up to 2020. An update on progress in relation to the Strategy was sent to the EU Commission as recently as January 2014.

I am informed that the term “Roma” as defined by the Council of Europe embraces in the Irish context both indigenous Irish Travellers and “Roma” in the sense of persons of Roma origin who have come to Ireland exercising their right of free movement. The 2011 Census recorded 29,573 persons who identified themselves as Irish Travellers and while there are no official statistics on the number of Roma in Ireland a figure of 3,000 has been cited by the Roma Support Group Pavee Point.

I note the concerns expressed in the Children’s Rights Alliance’s Report Card 2014 in relation to improving the lives of Traveller and migrant children. Clearly there are challenges for Government in this regard. In reply to a recent parliamentary question (Ref No. 14008/14 from Deputy O'Caoláin on 27th March 2014), I outlined a range of supports for traveller and migrant children that are funded by my Department to support youth services, education and family support initiatives and to address child poverty. The new Child and Family Agency also has a key role to play in the context its statutory remit for services previously provided by the National Educational Welfare Board, relating to educational welfare and school completion and through its network of Family Resource Centres.

The National Children and Young People’s Policy Framework, which I plan to launch shortly, will cover the seven year period from 2014 to 2020. It will address Government commitments in relation to Traveller / Roma children and assist the collaboration across Government in implementing the National Strategy.