Vol. 476 No. 7
18 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, which has been made towards implementing the health recommendations, ER 1 to ER 33, contained in the report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community published in July 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7644/97]
(Limerick East): Since the publication of the report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community, the health boards have taken a number of initiatives in relation to travellers' health. These include the establishment of a pilot project by the Eastern Health Board in training travellers for jobs in primary health care, the appointment of an officer by the Western Health Board to co-ordinate health services for travellers and the setting up by the North Eastern Health Board of a broadly-based advisory committee on travellers' health.
Officials of my Department, in consultation with the health boards, have been working on a draft policy statement on travellers' health. The policy statement will set out a number of specific steps to be taken to increase the level of uptake of health services by the travelling community.
I propose to take steps in the immediate future to set up the traveller health advisory committee recommended by the task force which will comprise officials of my Department and representatives of the health boards, travellers and traveller organisations. The first function of this committee will be to consider the draft policy statement. I expect to be in a position to publish this document within the next few months.
Following publication of the policy statement, a traveller health unit, as recommended by the task force, will be established in each health board area. This will bring together travellers, health service providers and other relevant statutory bodies, such as local authorities, to identify developments most likely to achieve greater takeup of health services by the travelling community. Another crucial development I will pursue will be the replication in all health boards of two pilot projects in the Eastern Health Board involving the training of travellers to participate in the delivery of health services.
Bearing in mind that the report of the task force was published in July 1995 and contained 33 recommendations in regard to travellers' health, the Minister's reply is disappointing in the extreme. Has any of those 33 recommendations been fully and properly implemented? Can the Minister confirm even now that each health board has established a traveller health unit, as recommended by the task force? I have carefully examined their recommendations in the health area but cannot ascertain, from the Minister's reply, that any one has been fully or properly implemented. Does the Minister agree this is similar to what is happening in all other Government Departments with responsibility for implementing such recommendations? Does he agree that the Government's commitment to the recommendations of this report is seriously lacking, primarily because there is no co-ordinated attempt to implement them?
(Limerick East): Some health boards have already taken initiatives in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force. At Pavee Point the Eastern Health Board has established a primary health care travellers' project, where eight traveller women are being trained in primary health care. Again at Pavee Point the Eastern Health Board has undertaken an EU project — under the NOW project — providing new opportunities for women, with 15 traveller women participating, leading to qualification for jobs in primary health care. The Eastern Health Board is also forming traveller committees, and a central committee, in each community care area.
The Western Health Board appointed a superintendent, a public health nurse, to co-ordinate health board services for travellers in that region. The North-Eastern Health Board recently established an advisory health committee on travellers' health which includes representatives of other statutory bodies such as local authorities. The Mid-Western Health Board has issued discussion documents on travellers' health. The Eastern Health Board, the Midland Health Board, the South-Eastern Health Board and the Western Health Board have specialist public health nurses for travellers. Much has been done. I have indicated to the chief executive officers of the health boards I expect travellers in their functional areas will get health care services as good as those of the settled community and they have an obligation to fulfil in respect of the travelling community. It is a disgrace that over many generations, as can be seen from the statistics, life expectancy among travellers not only relates to their socio economic position in the community but also to the lack of health care.
Will the Minister agree it is a disgrace health boards have not implemented a key recommendation of the task force report, namely, the establishment of a traveller health unit in the Department? Surely it is possible to set up such a unit in each health board region. We have heard from the Minister about a number of initiatives, none of which addresses the responsibility of individual health boards to establish a traveller health unit in each health board and to get on with the task of implementing the 33 recommendations in so far as they affect each health board. Will the Minister agree his Department has been remiss, in view of the fact that in 1994 in a national health strategy a commitment was given to address the particular needs of the travelling community? Obviously, progress has not been made because the unit in his Department has not been properly established. This is an indication of the weakness of the commitment not only in the Minister's Department but by Ministers with responsibility for health, social welfare, employment, equality etc. I agree with the Minister the health status of travellers is disgraceful by comparison with that of the settled community.
(Limerick East): I indicated in my reply I am setting up the traveller health advisory committee, as recommended by the task force. I expect it to have its report published in a few months.
It is two years late.
(Limerick East): Following publication of the policy statement, a traveller health unit, as recommended by the task force, will be established in each health board area.
It is two years late.
Will the Minister agree what is needed is real action rather than endless pilot schemes and reports, of which we have had many, in relation to the health, status and rights of the travelling community? Will he agree the most visible manifestation of the neglect of some children of the travelling community is they are allowed to beg on our streets? If the Government could take action against that practice it would go a long way towards protecting the rights of those children who are being abused by their parents. Will the Minister agree there is no ethnic right in the travelling community to allow their children become beggars? Will he agree this is a criminal offence and that no action has been taken by the Government? Despite promises and given that the matter has been raised by me and other Members on several occasions a blind eye is being turned to this practice. It is child abuse to allow children continue to beg on our streets, with the permission of their parents.
(Limerick East): That is an absolutely quintessential PD intervention into a debate on travellers' health.
Is it good for their health to beg on the streets?
