Sir, – The Government is considering whether or not to grant ethnic status to Irish Travellers in Ireland (they already enjoy this distinction in Britain).
DNA studies have many great lessons to offer. One is that all modern humans throughout the world are of the same family. But DNA can also parse closely a person’s most likely origins, and it is indicated that in general the Traveller community, while also having the deepest possible roots in Ireland (right back to the first people), made a separation from the settled community somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 years ago.
For this reason they are an amazingly distinct people, rare, vivid, and almost unique. Surely, as a member of the comparatively indistinct settled community, it is only natural for me to want such a signal fact to be celebrated?
Apart from the urgent advantages it would bring Travellers to be so recognised, I would love to be able to say that, in my generation, after centuries of discrimination and belittlement, but also oftentimes co-operation and admiration, we have honoured this group for the magnificent survivors they are, culturally and historically. Indeed it is not too much to say that this tremendous ethnic group has a claim to be considered “the most Irish of all the Irish”. Yours, etc,
SEBASTIAN BARRY,
The Old Rectory,
Moyne,
Tinahely,
Co Wicklow
Sir, – I welcome the Oireacthas committee report recommending that Travellers be recognised as an ethnic minority. One of the key recommendations of the National Traveller Monitoring and Advisory Committee to address the current poor mental health outcomes for Travellers, of which I was a part, was for all health agencies to use the Central Statistics Office Ethnic and Cultural Classification as a means to allow services to record, monitor and tailor services for Travellers, such as effective follow up of Travellers who self-harm, as Travellers have high suicide rates.
To date most health services do not keep such records, citing data protection limitations. Our group concluded that to improve the quality of life for Travellers in terms of educational opportunities, physical and mental health and to tackle prejudice and racism, would need the combined effort across all Government Departments and relevant service providers, and voluntary groups working with Travellers.
But crucial to that effort will be information systems that record the ethnic and cultural classification of all referrals and that the welfare of vulnerable groups such as Travellers is monitored and appropriate measures taken to address concerns. Ethnic recognition for Travellers has the potential to ensure this process begins. Yours, etc,
FRANK BROWNE,
Ballyroan Park,
Templeogue,
Dublin 16