Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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224. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 5 December 2017, the steps he is taking to address actions 98, 112, and 117 in the Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021. [52964/17]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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On 13 June this year, I launched the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2021. This Strategy contains 149 Actions, grouped under ten themes, which are as follows:

- Cultural Identity;

- Education;

- Employment and The Traveller Economy;

- Children and Youth;

- Health;

- Gender Equality;

- Anti-discrimination and Equality;

- Accommodation;

- Traveller and Roma Communities;

- Public Services

I chair the Steering Group which has the responsibility for monitoring and achieving progress on the implementation of the Strategy.  The Steering Group consists of representatives of the Traveller and Roma communities, as well as of representatives of relevant Government Departments and Agencies.

Since the launch of the Strategy, the Steering Group has met twice, on 2 August and on 18 October. The next meeting is planned for Wednesday 13 December. The meetings provide an opportunity to review progress and to drive forward implementation of the Strategy.

To date, work has begun on approximately 100 of the actions in the Strategy. The Steering Group will continue to monitor progress on these Actions and to focus on actions where progress has not yet commenced. It is a priority for me that the momentum achieved to date is maintained. 

The following specific Actions which are included in the Strategy:

98. The Department of Justice and Equality will support the development of community leadership in gender equality with men and women from the Traveller and Roma communities with a view to developing gender equality.

112.  Members of the Traveller and Roma communities will be supported in the reporting of racist crimes.

117.  The Department of Justice and Equality will support the development and delivery by Traveller and Roma organisations of initiatives aimed at challenging homophobia and transphobia within the Traveller and Roma communities including support for Traveller and Roma families who have children/partners coming out.

With regard to Action 98, my Department has provided increased funding of €55,000 to the National Traveller Women’s Forum in 2017 to assist the organisation in promoting the gender equality actions contained in the NTRIS with a view to further developing Gender Equality in the Traveller and Roma communities. Further discussions will take place during 2018 between this Department and the national Traveller and Roma-focussed NGOs with a view to the promotion of the gender equality actions contained in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021.

On Action 112, I understand that the former Garda Racial Intercultural and Diversity Office has recently been subsumed into the Garda Bureau of Community, Diversity and Integration. It has responsibility for coordinating, monitoring and advising on all aspects of policing Ireland's diverse communities. The GBCDI monitors the reporting and recording of hate and racist crime on a continual basis.

Garda Ethnic Liaison Officers (ELOs) are appointed to work with minority communities at local level throughout the country. These officers combined with the GBCDI play a fundamental role in liaising with minority groups and work in partnership to encourage tolerance, respect and understanding within communities in the pursuit of preventing the commission of hate and racist crime. GBCDI and ELOs provide advice and assistance to victims of hate or racist crime where required or deemed necessary.

Existing Irish law is in compliance with the EU Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia as regards online hate speech. This is, however, a complex area to legislate for and any further proposals for research in this area would have to take account of the review carried out under the auspices of the National Action Plan against racism in recent years and would have to take cognisance of best practice in the Cybercrime area.

Finally, for Action 117, my Department will work with Traveller and Roma NGOs in 2018 with a view to providing the support necessary for the delivery of the initiatives concerned, as described in this Action. In this regard, my Department will commence work in the New Year on the drafting of a new National LGBT Strategy, which will also contain recommendations in this area.