This section provides some contextual
information about the Irish Traveller and Roma communities
in Ireland. It provides a useful introduction, however it
is recommended that you contact the agencies listed at the
end of each section for more detailed information.
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Demonstration outside Dail Eireann protesting
against the introduction of the trespass legislation
in 2002. Photograph courtesy of Irish Traveller Movement.
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The History of Irish Travellers
Although not much historical research has been carried out
on the Traveller way of life, there are references to nomadic
groups dating back to 12th and even 5th century. Travellers
were craftsmen, entertainers, message carriers, horse traders,
tinsmiths, engaged in buying and selling goods and provided
a seasonal labour force with a variety of skills. They were
involved in specific economic activity throughout history
that can be associated with a nomadic way of life. As industrialisation
brought new methods of communication and cheap plastic,
Travellers as with other groups in Ireland began to experience
a change in their role in Irish society and had to adapt
their lifestyle to accommodate these changes. Under many
pressures to adopt a sedentary or settled lifestyle Travellers
have resisted and have proved their ability to survive and
maintain their cultural identity.
The Traveller identity is marked by a number of common
features; a common history and experience, an oral tradition,
their own language, value system and of course a nomadic
way of life. The distinctive Traveller lifestyle and culture
sets Travellers apart from the sedentary population or
'settled people'. Travellers have a unique history and
value system, as well as language, customs and traditions.
The Traveller languages are called Cant, Gammon, or Shelta.
While Irish Travellers are native to Ireland, they have
much in common with European Roma, Sinti and Gypsies such
as their nomadic tradition, a tendency to live in extended
families, and a history of having to protect their identity
from attempts to assimilate them into the majority population.
While it is clear that Traveller have long
suffered from discrimination and prejudice in Irish society,
up until recently very little was known about these experiences,
and Travellers are often invisible to policy and decision
makers. However these gaps have begun to be closed in recent
years, and information is beginning to emerge from sources
such as the National Census and the anti-discrimination
casework of the Equality Authority and the Equality Tribunal
— ODEI.
According to Census 2002:
- There are 23,681 Travellers nationally, accounting
for approximately 0.6% of the population
- Only 3.3% of the Traveller population are over 65 years
compared to 11.1% of the general population
- 63% of Travellers are under 25 years compared with 37%
of the general population
- 42% of Travellers are under 15 years compared with
21% of the general population
- The average age for Travellers is 18 years compared
to a national figure of 32 years
- 21,549 Travellers identified themselves as Roman Catholic
The Traveller Community and Racism
The Traveller community in Ireland experiences social exclusion
and discrimination at all levels of society. Travellers
live with the daily reality of being refused access to a
range of services including shops, pubs, hairdressers and
laundrettes. Systematic efforts were made to assimilate
Travellers into the dominant population on the assumption
that it was the best interests of everyone. Official reports
such as the Commission on Itineracy 1963 had an approach
which equated Travellers with vagrants, social misfits and
deviant or saw them as an impoverished underclass in need
of rehabilitation.
Government policies and official reports which since
the 1980's have begun to recognise Traveller culture,
however have been directed towards the values and interests
of the dominant culture. These include official approaches
to the education and accommodation needs of Travellers.
While recognising Traveller identity the approach has
not been culturally appropriate for the Traveller community.
More recent reports such as the Task Force Report on the
Travelling Community (1995) seek to acknowledge Traveller
culture and identity in a positive light and to address
Traveller issues from a human rights perspective. The
Task Force Report also made a number of recommendations
that would challenge racism and discrimination by protecting
Travellers in the law and providing a system of redress.
Membership of the Traveller community was identified
as one of the nine grounds for discrimination under the
Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act
2000. During 2003 the Equality Tribunal 2003 decided 68
cases on the ground of membership of the Traveller community.
Only two of these cases were brought under the Employment
Equality Act 1998 while the remainder were heard under
the Equal Status Act 2000. Refusal of service in licensed
premises accounted for a large proportion of the Equal
Status cases on the Traveller ground in 2003, however
the jurisdiction to hear case in relation to licensed
premises has now been moved from the Equality Tribunal
to the District Court (The Equality Tribunal, Legal Review
2003).
The casework of the Equality Authority also demonstrates
the high level of discrimination against members of the
Traveller community. In 2003 the Equality Authority dealt
with 9 employment equality cases on the Traveller ground,
while there were 327 cases under the equal status casework
activity (Equality Authority, Annual Report 2003). It
is also assumed that Travellers are unwilling to join
the labour force, however this assumption fails to recognise
the barriers which have faced the Traveller community
in accessing the mainstream labour market, in particular
experiences of discrimination.
The NCCRI Racist Incidents Reporting Procedure has documented
incidents of racially motivated attacks, harassment and
verbal abuse directed at the Traveller community. One
of the most frequent manifestations of prejudice against
the Traveller community is the use of offensive labels
either on a person-to-person basis or in the media. For
instance Traveller are often called cheats and criminals.
It has been assumed that Travellers choose to live in
dirty condition without respect for their surroundings
or others around them. These myths and misunderstandings
promote racism and discrimination, and have prevented
Travellers from achieving equality in accommodation, health,
education and other public and private services.
In Ireland the use of the words 'Traveller' or 'Traveller
Community' is how Travellers prefer to be called. However
Travellers are referred to by other names, such as 'tinker',
'itinerant' or 'knacker'. The usage of these other terms
is often derogatory and offensive. The term 'itinerant'
was legitimised in the 1960's by its usage in government
reports such as the Commission on Itinerancy and was associated
with social problems like vagrancy. The word 'tinker'
is derived from the tinsmith trade, which was a common
Traveller trade, but not a trade that all Travellers engaged
in. The word 'knacker' is the most offensive of these
words in its usage and in the way it reinforces negative
stereotyping of Traveller identity. All of these other
terms and their usage have a direct impact on Traveller
identity and deny Travellers the right to identify themselves.
In a public attitudes survey published
by the governments 'Know Racism' campaign in February 2004
72% of respondents agreed that the settled community do
not want members of the Traveller community living amongst
them, while 48% disagreed that Traveller make a positive
contribution to Irish society.
The above information was compiled with
assistance from the Pavee Point fact sheets on the Traveller
community, available on www.paveepoint.ie
and the Citizens Information Database on www.cidb.ie
Further Reading
Bewley, V., (ed.): The Travelling People in Ireland.
Veritas, 1976.
Irish Government: Task Force Report on the Travelling
People. 1995.
O'Connell, John: Travellers, Gypsies, Roma.
Pavee Point Fact Sheet 1997.
Donahue/Ward/McVeigh: Misli, Crush, Misli: Irish
Travellers and Nomadism: A Research Report for the Irish
Traveller Movement and Traveller Movement (Northern
Ireland). Available from the Irish Traveller Movement
Further Information
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NCCRI Submission on Recognising Travellers
as an Ethnic Group (2004)
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 PDF
format
(size 50 Kb)
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Irish National Co-ordinating Committee for the European
Year Against Racism Travellers in Ireland:
An Examination of Discrimination and Racism:
a Report from the (1997)
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Click here to access document |
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Irish Travellers: Challenging the Myths, published
by the Irish Traveller Movement, Pavee Point,
National Travellers Women's Forum in association with
the NCCRI as part of Traveller Focus Week 2003
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PDF format
(size 60 Kb) |
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Demonstration outside Dail Eireann
protesting against the introduction of the trespass
legislation in 2002. Photograph courtesy of Irish
Traveller Movement. |
Roma are a minority ethnic group whose
recent origins are predominantly from Eastern and Central
Europe. Roma is the preferred term used by representative
groups from countries such as Romania, Poland, the Czech
Republic which are the main countries of origin for Roma
groups in Ireland. 'Rom' is the singular of Roma and refers
to one person.
The phenomenon of dispersal is central
to Roma history. A report from the High Commissioner on
National Minorities from 2000 notes that although Roma share
a common lineage, their migrations over the centuries to
many different countries have produced numerous distinct
communities and dialects as particular groups established
roots in various countries and regions. Roma communities
have been associated and resident in specific countries
for hundreds of years; in spite of this Roma are perceived
and treated as outsiders. Considerable evidence exists from
international bodies such as Amnesty International that
Roma in parts of Eastern and Central Europe are actively
persecuted and subjected to racism, including violent attacks
and abuse. Some countries, particularly accession countries
that joined the EU in May 2004, are recognising this issue
and looking at ways to respond to it.
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The Roma Community
in Ireland. Photograph courtesy of the Irish Times. |
Roma in Ireland
Roma migration to Ireland is not a new experience. Even
before the recent increases in the numbers of people migrating
to Ireland seeking employment or to be recognised as refugees,
it was not unusual for Roma to arrive in Ireland, to travel
around the country, picking up seasonal work such as farm
labouring and moving back to England and Europe. This migration
was of a temporary nature and small numbers so went relatively
unobserved.
Since the mid 1990s the numbers of Roma who have arrived
in Ireland seeking asylum have risen significantly. This
is consistent with the overall increase in asylum seekers
to Ireland that has occurred since the mid 1990s. The
first major arrival of Roma in Ireland was from Arad in
North Eastern Romania in 1998. Most of this group were
granted refugee status.
A precise demographic profile of the number of Roma in
Ireland is not possible because data is collected on the
basis of nationality, not ethnic origin. However it is
estimated that there are 1,700 Roma living in Ireland.
The countries of origin of Roma in Ireland are Romania,
Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
The Roma in Ireland tend to be even more marginalized
than many other asylum seeker groups because of their
lack of education, low language skills and historic and
systematic discrimination.
This information was compiled with assistance from the Roma
Support Group/Pavee Point: Roma in Ireland: An Initial Needs Analysis
(March 2002). A Publication in association with NCCRI and FAS Asylum Seekers
Unit.
Further Information
