THE GOVERNMENT is expected to tell a UN committee next month that it does not regard Travellers as a distinct ethnic group, despite calls for it to do so by a range of human rights groups.
At a meeting of the UN's human rights committee next month, Government representatives are expected to tell officials it gives special recognition to Travellers and provides explicit recognition to Travellers in equality legislation. However, it does not regard Travellers as a distinct group from the population as a whole in terms of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
This is rejected by the Irish Traveller Movement, which yesterday launched a campaign to urge the Government to grant Travellers the same ethnic minority status in Ireland as it has in England and the North.
The Equality Authority, Amnesty International and the National Consultative Committee for Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) have pledged to support the campaign.
The issue is due to come before the UN's examination of the Government's implementation of the international covenant on civil and political rights in July. The UN has previously expressed concern over the Government's stance, while the State's human rights watchdog has urged it to make concrete steps to recognise Travellers' ethnic status.
The Irish Human Rights Commission, which will be present at the UN meeting, adds that Travellers meet many of the criteria that should establish them as an ethnic minority.
The Irish Traveller Movement, meanwhile, is confident that support from Travellers, State bodies, human rights groups and the wider Irish community will serve as a powerful lobbying tool.
At its agm yesterday, the group's chairwoman, Catherine Joyce, said the support of a growing numbers of organisations means Travellers have an increasingly strong case.
Ms Joyce said ethnic status would provide greater protection of Travellers' cultural independence under law. "This would include official recognition of Traveller culture in the provision of housing, education and health services," she said.
Ms Joyce said recognition would mean nomadism would have to be properly catered for in housing provision and it could ensure Traveller representation in the political system.
"Furthermore, there is also an important symbolic meaning of Traveller culture becoming validated as both distinct and valued within Irish society," she added.
Ireland has signed up to the principles of the UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
However, Irish Travellers are not recognised as an ethnic minority group so the convention's protections do not apply to them at present.