Press Release November 2006
Pavee Point welcomes publication of the Advisory Committee for the Protection of National Minorities (FCPNM) Opinion on Ireland
8th November 2006.
Pavee Point welcomes the government’s publication of the FCPNM Advisory Committee’s (AC) Second Opinion on Ireland. “We commend the government for making this report available immediately and welcome the FCPNM Advisory Committee’s findings and recommendations concerning Irish Travellers and their situation in Ireland today,” says Pavee Point Director Ronnie Fay.Pavee Point particularly welcomes the AC’s highlighting of the ‘disproportionately low level of representation and participation of Travellers in political life’ and welcomes its call for ‘The Irish authorities … to pursue further their efforts to encourage Travellers’ participation in elections, both as electors and candidates, at all relevant levels.’
“With a general election looming this is all the more relevant and we call on the Taoiseach to consider the nomination and allocation of positions in the Dail and Senate for Traveller candidates,” says Ms Fay.
The AC’s recommendation which referred to Traveller participation across a range of policy mechanisms stated that “…in so far as the work of the Group (High Level Official Group on Travellers) includes formulation or prioritization of key policy initiatives on Travellers, it is essential that the involvement of Traveller organisations, from local to the central level, is ensured more comprehensively than is currently the case.’ These recommendations refer to a range of issues affecting Travellers: Traveller participation in economic life, Traveller education, Traveller accommodation, Traveller women, Traveller health, discrimination and access to means of redress for Travellers and negative reporting of Travellers by some media.
“We call on the Irish government to take these recommendations seriously and to introduce the necessary legal and administrative measures and resources to realise these recommendations in partnership with Traveller organisations” says Ms Fay.
The AC also highlighted the issue of Traveller ethnicity, the criteria of ‘self identification’ and the need for the Irish authorities to engage in further ‘discussion with the minority concerned’ on the issue of Traveller ethnicity.
“31. The Irish authorities should refrain from conclusive statements affirming that the
Travellers do not constitute an ethnic minority in so far as such a position is not based on clear criteria and does not result from a dialogue with the minority concerned, taking into account the principle of self-identification stemming from Article 3 of the Framework Convention…”
“We hope to engage in useful debate with the government in progressing this issue and others raised in this Report", says Ms Fay.
Further Measures:
The AC invited the Irish authorities to take the following measures to improve further the implementation of the Framework Convention:
- Ensure Traveller representatives’ effective participation in various bodies dealing with Traveller issues, while facilitating Travellers’ involvement also in elected bodies.
- Pay increasing attention to the principle of self-identification in data collection and other contexts.
- Monitor the impact of the recent changes to the complaint mechanisms for non-discrimination cases so as to ensure that they do not harm the accessibility or effectiveness of the remedies available and ensure that the structures concerned are adequately resourced.
- Take decisive measures to ensure the implementation of Traveller accommodation plans throughout the country.
- Launch rapidly the Traveller education strategy, coupled with an implementation plan, and follow it up decisively.
- Take further steps aimed to facilitate self employment and other economic activities of the Travellers.
The opinion of the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities on measures taken in this field by Ireland has been made public at the country's initiative and is now available.
The Advisory Committee of 18 independent experts drew up the opinion on the basis of the state report and other materials and after conducting a visit to Ireland. After the Irish Government has submitted its comments on the Opinion, it will be examined by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, which will then adopt its conclusions and possible recommendations.
Pavee Point Position Paper on HLOG available http://www.paveepoint.ie/submissions/06-HLOG-paper.pdf
For further information please contact Ronnie Fay/ Terry Battles on 01 8780255 Ext: 103
Issued by Pavee Point Travellers Centre, 46 North Great Charles St, Dublin 1.