Plight of travellers has to be addressed in law, group says

THE rights of Irish travellers are being undermined by discrimination and exclusion, an international conference on travellers and gypsies has been told.

Ms Mary McDonnell, of the Pavee Point travellers' centre, said Ireland was the only EU member which had not ratified the United Nations convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. Progress required the urgent introduction of equal status legislation, she said.

Ms McDonnell said the need for anti discrimination legislation was highlighted by the cancellation of meal reservations for the conference by two Dublin hotels when they discovered a traveller and gypsy group was involved.

The first hotel, in Dun Laoghaire, cancelled the reservation, worth £3,000, on Friday when it received the cheque for the meal. A second hotel in the area also cancelled.

The group of 100 delegates from seven EU countries was eventually accommodated in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.

The conference called for EU wide legislation to prohibit direct and indirect discrimination against travellers, and to promote equality and participation. The health service should be targeted on the specific needs of nomads, and accommodation should be provided in consultation with travellers.

"The growth of the EU to include Eastern European countries will see the nomadic population increasing significantly and, if adequate attention is not given to human rights and protection from discrimination, social exclusion will make a lie of the European ideal and leave millions of people living on the margins," said Mr John O'Connell, director of Pavee Point.

The Irish Presidency of the EU offered an ideal opportunity for the Union to make greater efforts to combat racism and xenophobia, he said.

"While Irish travellers are formally full citizens, in reality they are denied many of the rights one normally associates with citizenship," he said.

The conference called for the gender proofing of all policies, and the provision of education which "celebrates cultural diversity".

Policies should also promote economic development, improve access to the mainstream labour market and provide resources for traditional economic activities.