Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is in a position to implement the recommendations of the Oireachtas justice committee’s report on Traveller ethnicity published earlier this year. [35405/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The recommendations contained in the Report on the Recognition of Traveller Ethnicity by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality form part of the ongoing consideration of this issue which is underway in my Department.

My Department has been engaged in consultation with all Government Departments in relation to the issue of the recognition of Travellers as an Ethnic Group and the implications. The outcome of those consultations is subject to continuing consideration and is now being taken forward. In addition, my Department has engaged with the UK and Northern Ireland administrations with a view to gaining an insight into the implications arising on foot of granting ethnicity to Irish Travellers in those jurisdictions.

The examination of all relevant issues should shortly be brought to a conclusion, with a view to ensuring that a full analysis of all aspects of recognising Travellers as an ethnic group is available to Government when coming to a decision on the matter.