Members of the Travelling community in the North suffer multiple disadvantage in terms of health, education, employment and their homes, a new study indicated today.
Joint research by the Southern Area Children's Services Planning and the Southern Travellers Early Years Partnership also showed only small numbers of Travellers' children benefit from pre-school education.
Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Bairbre de Brun, who launched the study in Armagh, claimed Travellers were facing unacceptable difficulties.
"The current position of most Travellers is characterised by multiple disadvantage - poor living conditions which contribute to increased levels of poor health, reduced educational opportunity and long term unemployment," she said.
"These problems are strongly inter-related and it is my view that for too long poverty has been allowed to blight the lives of disadvantaged communities."
At today's launch, Ms de Brun was also "pleased" that outreach work by health visitors to assess the needs of families appeared to be working.
In particular, the minister was encouraged by the work with mothers and children to ensure immunizations were carried out on schedule.
"It is good to see that the majority of the Traveller women in your area are now attending ante-natal care regularly," the Sinn Féin minister said.
PA