Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has read the recently published Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality's report on the recognition of Traveller ethnicity; and his views on same. [19749/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the publication of the Report on on the Recognition of Traveller Ethnicity by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality.

The Deputy will be aware from my reply to questions on this subject, including my replies to Parliamentary Questions on 30th April 2014 (reference 19365/14) and 10th December 2013 (reference 52666/13), that I have previously undertaken to give serious consideration to the issue. My reply of 10th December also explained that my consideration of the issue will take account of the report of the Conference on the subject of Ethnicity and Travellers:An Exploration held in September 2012 and the outcome of an ongoing engagement with other Government Departments on the issue with a view to identifying any possible implications arising from the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group. The Joint Committee's Report, which is being examined by my Department, will now also clearly form part of that consideration.

I hope that the examination of all relevant issues will be brought to a conclusion shortly, facilitating a full analysis of all aspects of granting ethnic status to Travellers to inform any proposals on the matter that I may wish to bring to Government.