PREJUDICES against travellers in Ireland are hardening rather than weakening and previous governments have not given a lead in tackling the problem, the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Mr Taylor, has claimed.
Speaking at a press conference in Dublin yesterday to mark European Year Against Racism, Mr Taylor indicated that it was difficult to say why hostile attitudes to travellers were becoming entrenched but legislation was one way of combating the problem.
"Travellers have a tradition of nomadism and I think it is true to, say that there is within the settled community a tradition of prejudice against them.
"That is a problem we in Ireland must face and I believe it should be one of the issues uppermost in our minds during the coming year," he said.
The Council of EU Ministers has designated 1997 as European Year Against Racism and an Irish National Committee has been established under the direction of [Dr Anastatia Crickley of Maynooth University to co ordinate policies and action to combat racism.
According to the Minister, "historically we in Ireland have been less aware of the extent of certain kinds of discrimination in this country because of our small size and because of the relatively homogeneous nature of our nation".
Unlike many other countries, Ireland did not have large racial minorities and, in the past, there had been a tendency to think there was no need for anti discrimination legislation.
"I believe that a closer examination of Irish society would reveal the extent of the marginalised groups in this country.
"There are also growing ethnic minorities in Ireland just as there are elsewhere in Europe and they too must be protected," the Minister said.
Confirming that he proposed to publish new equal status legislation shortly, Mr Taylor said the Government was determined to recognise the increasingly diverse nature of Irish society and to ensure protection for minorities both in employment and generally.
Ms Crickley told the press conference that the continuing and increasing presence of racism, xenophobia and anti Semitism were a major challenge to the EU and a fundamental threat to human equality and democratic society.
Racism in Ireland had until recently been ignored as an issue. However, there was evidence of racism affecting minority ethnic (groups, including the traveller community.
While racism experienced by Irish emigrants was well documented, Irish people, institutions and agencies working abroad had the potential to be racist themselves, she added.
She called for a Government commitment to ratify the UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racism.
Ms Phil Mullen from the African Cultural Project said there were 20,000 African, Asian or Middle Eastern people living in Ireland.
They did not want to be marginalised as in many other countries "and only accepted as an integral part of society when we make the national football team".
Mr Martin Collins of Pavee Point, the travellers organisation, said prejudices towards his community were hardening. Travellers' trailers were burned and their occupants were forced to flee.
The increase in prejudices was due, in part, to the media's handling of stories involving travellers. Journalists should abide by the NUJ's guidelines in this respect and try to seek the views of travellers as well as the settled community.