Travellers say their situation has worsened over five years

Travellers are more excluded and alienated from Irish society than they were five years ago, a seminar in Dublin was told yesterday. The seminar, organised by the Citizen Traveller organisation, was held to mark the fifth anniversary of the publication of the Government Task Force report on the Travelling community.

Mr Martin Collins, a spokesman for Pavee Point on the monitoring committee on the implementation of the report, said local authorities had failed to implement the report's most basic recommendations.

"It is sadly not surprising that most Travellers are very disillusioned and have little confidence in the political system."

Speakers from national Traveller organisations reported on progress, with accommodation being cited as still the biggest stumbling block in improving relations between the Travelling and settled communities.

The report recommended in 1995 that 3,100 units of accommodation be provided by this year - to date 99 have been provided.

Ms Rachel Doyle, co-ordinator of the National Travellers Women's Forum, highlighted discrimination against Travellers. A survey carried out earlier this year for Citizen Traveller found 61 per cent of people believed Travellers were treated worse than average by the courts and 53 per cent believed they were treated worse than average by the Garda.

Travellers have an average life expectancy of 10-12 years less than the settled community, said Ms Ronnie Fay, director of Pavee Point.

"Only 1 per cent reach 65 years of age or more, with the number of stillbirths twice the national rate. Travellers today are only now achieving a life expectancy achieved by the settled community in the 1940s."