The lack of progress on the National Traveller Health Strategy is an example of institutional racism, the Pavee Point Travellers’ centre claimed today.
The first Progress Report on the recommendations of the Task Force on the Travelling Community was published today by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform Mr John O’Donoghue.
The Report expressed concern at the lack of progress in the area of education, and in particular the failure to establish a Traveller Education Service as recommended by the Task Force.
"Over five years have passed since the Task Force Report was published and it is a cause of concern to me that, as the Report points out, improvements on the ground in the position of Travellers have been disappointing during that period," the Minister said.
But Mr Ronnie Fay, director of the Pavee Point Travellers’ centre was not satisfied. "The fact that today marks the first progress report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force on Travelling Community which was published in 1995 is indicative of the lack of priority given to travellers’ status in Irish society."
"It has taken six years for the state to acknowledge that there are now more Travellers on the roadside than when the Task Force reported," he added.
The Report pointed to difficulties in monitoring due to the lack of reliable data on the number of travellers using services
An extra 85 recommendations were added to the 340 already in place.