Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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116. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has conducted an analysis recently on the life expectancy of members of the Traveller community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36701/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The most recent analysis of life expectancy among Travellers was the All Ireland Traveller Health Study (AITHS) which was carried out in 2007 and the findings published in September 2010 with a follow up Birth Cohort Study published in September 2011. This was a comprehensive study of the health and social status of the Traveller community in Ireland and was carried out by the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin on behalf of Travellers, with the direct involvement of Travellers. The key findings of the study were that Travellers experienced higher levels of morbidity and mortality. Life expectancy at birth for Travellers compared to the general population was 15.1 years lower for Traveller men and 11.5 years lower for Traveller women. Compared to the previous study carried out in 1987 there was an improvement of 4.8 years for Traveller women, however there had been no change among Traveller men.

Both Travellers and health service providers interviewed during the course of the All Ireland Study acknowledged that Social Determinants are a major cause of the poor health status of Travellers. Aspects of accommodation, education, employment, poverty, discrimination, lifestyle and access and utilisation of services were cited as key sociodeterminants in this regard.

Healthy Ireland is the National Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing. A key goal of this framework is to reduce health inequalities. This is particularly relevant in relation to the health outcomes for the Traveller community as it seeks to address the social determinants of health and wellbeing.

My Department is also represented on cross government structures such as the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy Steering Group which was established earlier this year following a review of existing Traveller and Roma consultation structures by the Department of Justice and Equality.