I thank the joint committee for giving Pavee Point the opportunity to present some key issues of concern to us. It is important to remind ourselves of the context in which the Traveller community finds itself. International and domestic bodies concerned with human rights and equality have presented evidence that Travellers continue to be one of the most marginalised and excluded groups in society. This manifests itself in a number of ways. For example, the unemployment rate among Travellers is 78% compared with 8% among the general population. There is a very low level of educational attainment among Travellers. For example, only 63 Travellers completed secondary education in 2006. The health status of Travellers is also of concern. For example, Traveller men live, on average, 12 years less than settled men, while Traveller women, on average, live 12 years less than settled women. Discrimination is an issue about which we are very concerned. In successive opinion polls Travellers emerge as one of the most despised and ostracised groups in society. In 2000 Behaviour & Attitudes conducted a survey of discriminatory attitudes towards a range of people and found that 80% of those surveyed would not want a Traveller as a friend, while 97% would not accept a Traveller as a member of their family. Despite Government policy and the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, we still have 1,700 Traveller families living on the side of the road without basic essentials such as sanitation, electricity, heat and water.
Traveller organisations acknowledge that there have been much analysis and thinking on developing policy on the issues which concern us. Nevertheless, there is a huge gulf between policy development and policy implementation. Our key concern in Pavee Point is that the current arrangements for implementation of Traveller policy are not effective. There is, therefore, an obligation on all of us, Traveller organisations and the State, to examine new structures and mechanisms for implementation of Traveller policy across the spectrum, including education, health, accommodation and equality. Travellers are also excluded from the high level senior officials group, despite calls from many bodies, domestic and international, for Traveller organisations to be allowed to participate in decision-making processes that impact on the lives of Travellers. For this reason, it is a huge concern that Traveller organisations are excluded from the high level senior officials group.
No Traveller has been elected to the national Parliament, although two have been elected as councillors. While we welcome this, the overall situation is totally unsatisfactory. In 2006 the committee for the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities called on the Government to take positive measures to promote the inclusion of Travellers in the political process. This year the visiting Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas Hammerberg, also called on it to facilitate Traveller representatives in the Oireachtas. He specifically recommended the provision of a permanent Seanad seat for Travellers. We hope the committee will consider this measure. Similar measures have been enacted in many eastern European countries regarding members of the Roma community.
Another issue of concern is the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic minority, which is of paramount importance. The Government refuses to recognise Travellers as an ethnic group, despite calls, nationally and internationally, from respected human rights organisations. The Government acknowledges that Travellers have a separate, distinct cultural identity but fails to recognise them as an ethnic group, which has symbolic and practical implications. Traveller organisations and Travellers recognise that they are an indigenous ethnic minority. It is important to clarify that being indigenous does not preclude recognition of a separate ethnic status; this is reflected in many countries. The importance of recognising Travellers as an ethnic group is apparent when we consider the necessity to include them in national anti-racism and intercultural initiatives. This is especially important, as the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, has made it clear that Travellers will not be included within his remit. This is disappointing and causes concern. The ending of the national action plan against racism, NAPAR, coupled with the disbandment of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and savage cuts at the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission, begs the question of how Traveller inclusion and integration might be addressed in the future. We seek full and unequivocal recognition of Travellers as an ethnic minority, as this would have symbolic and practical implications. The practical implications relate to policy development and service provision ranging from health care to education and accommodation.
We must be innovative in exploring new methods for implementation of Traveller policy because current systems are totally ineffective and not delivering the desired outcomes. The experience and expertise Traveller organisations can offer should be recognised. We seek more meaningful participation and engagement with the State to progress Traveller issues. In that regard, we seek to participate in the high level senior officials group. We want the Oireachtas to put in place positive action measures to help recruit Travellers to the Houses. A symbolic move in this regard would be to nominate a Traveller to the Seanad. This is not a measure that was first mentioned today or yesterday; Traveller organisations have campaigned consistently for this during the past 15 or 20 years. A government in a mature, vibrant democracy should consider this measure seriously.