Vol. 457 No. 7
17 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the considerable increase in the number of itinerants; and if his Department, in conjunction with the Departments of Health and Education, has any plans to solve the problems this growth is creating. [13545/95]
While it may be unintentional, I am somewhat concerned at the tone of the question. There has of course been an increase in the number of traveller households, but it is up to the community as a whole to make appropriate provision for this section of the community, as for all others. In this connection, I should point out that the health strategy which, as Minister for Health, I launched last year contains a number of initiatives to address the particular health needs of the travelling community and to improve mortality and morbidity rates.
As Minister for the Environment, my role in relation to the travelling community relates to the provision of housing and serviced caravan parks for them. Each local authority is responsible, as housing authority, for the planning, initiation and construction of housing and serviced caravan parks for travelling people who are assessed as in need of such accommodation and unable to provide it from their own resources. My Department provides the necessary funding, as well as a general advisory and supervisory service to ensure that technical standards and cost control procedures are observed.
The Task Force on the Travelling Community, whose final report was published last July, dealt comprehensively with the full range of matters, including accommodation, health and education, relating to the travelling community. The Government has decided that implementation of the report should be considered by a group of officials from the relevant Government Departments, under the auspices of the Department of Equality and Law Reform. The Government will consider further the implementation of the task force recommendations on receipt of a report from these officials.
I make no apologies for putting down such a question. It is a follow-up to a question I put down some months ago in this House which indicated that there has been an absolute explosion in the number of itinerants or travellers; the numbers have multiplied. The task force report does not address this problem in any form or manner and will not contribute one iota to solving it. We must become involved in matters relating to education and health. In view of the explosion in the number of travellers, has any attempt been made to counsel travellers on matters such as family planning? In recent weeks I received figures to the effect that a number of traveller children are educated up to 12 or 13 years of age but thereafter there is a dramatic fall-off in their attendance at schools.
Will the Minister adopt a co-ordinated approach in conjunction with the Ministers for Health and Education to ensure the problem is brought under control? Unlike many local representatives, I sympathise with and stand up for travellers. By putting down this question I am in no way denigrating them. I want to see a solution to what has become an enormous problem.
I thought the question was put down by Deputy Timmins. I was concerned at the tone of the question, that it is regarded as a problem or alarming that any group of people should increase in numbers. If the Deputy put down a question asking what plans the Minister has to deal with the considerable increase in the number of Waterford men, there would be an implication in that which is not helpful.
I was responsible for drawing up the national health strategy last year, one of the main objectives of which was to improve the health status of vulnerable groups in society — no group has a more vulnerable health status than travellers, particularly women travellers. If there is an increase in the number of travelling people, thank God for that. They are living longer and their health status has improved, but there is a long way to go before their standard of health is equal to that of other Irish citizens. I make no apology for targeting in the national health strategy efforts to improve the health and morbidity records of the travelling community who have for so long endured appalling conditions.
My responsibility now relates to housing and accommodation. I am no longer responsible for health and I am not responsible for education. The whole area of travellers' welfare is co-ordinated by my colleague, the Minister for Equality and Law Reform. The task force has reported. A working group involving all Departments is considering the recommendations of the task force. I assure the House the Government is determined to provide for the welfare of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in our community.
I am not at all impressed by the sanctimonious tone of the Minister's reply. There is a considerable problem in this area and the only way it will be solved is by an integrated approach by the Departments referred to in the question. There is tremendous suffering among all travelling people, particularly the younger children, and it behoves us to ensure that suffering is alleviated, if not eliminated, immediately. A co-ordinated approach must be adopted by the Departments of Health, Education and the Environment. Such an approach is not being adopted at present and the task force does not even attempt to tackle the problems that exist.
We must proceed by way of question.
The Minister for Equality and Law Reform has the specific job of co-ordinating services for those who are vulnerable in society, and one such group are travellers. That Minister established the task force and it has reported. A working group involving all Departments is analysing the task force recommendations with a view to their implementation. The co-ordination which the Deputy seeks is taking place.
