Factsheets - Travellers in Northern Ireland
Travellers in Northern Ireland and Travellers in the Republic are members of the same ethnic group and are faced with similar life experiences, which include discrimination and social exclusion.
The Department of Environment Northern Ireland Census 2001, counted 1710 Travellers in Northern Ireland. Features of multiple disadvantage experienced by Travellers include:
- Long term unemployment - only 11% are in paid employment while 70% who are economically active have had no paid work since 1991.
- Poor levels of educational attainment - 92% of Travellers have no GSCEs or equivalent or higher.
- Poor health status - only 10% of Travellers are over 40 years of age and only 1% are over 65 years.
- High levels of prejudice - in one survey 57% said they did not want Travellers resident in their local area and two thirds said they would not willingly accept a Traveller as a work colleague.
Government Responses
The provision of adequate Traveller accommodation is a major issue. One survey in 1989 described Traveller living conditions 'as possibly the worst of any group in the United Kingdom'.
In 1999, the Department of the Environment published its 'New Policy on Accommodation for Travellers'. In it the Department is in favour of one strategic agency to deal with Traveller accommodation and agreed that agency should be the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The Department recommends responsibility for transient halting sites remains with the relevant District Councils.
In 1997, the Race Relations Order Northern Ireland was introduced and allows redress if Travellers come across discrimination in employment, education, housing, the provison of goods or services and the disposal of premises. Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act, 1990 obliges all public authorities to have due regard for the need for equal opportunity in all their functions, powers and duties.
The Good Friday Agreement resulted in the formation, in 1998, of the Equality Commission and the establishment of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
In 2000, the Promoting Social Inclusion Working Group (PSI) on Travellers was established to develop a fresh analysis of the situation of Travellers and to make recommendations for an integrated strategy. This was done under the Government's 'New Targeting Social Need' policy.
For the First time representatives of the Traveller community were invited onto the committee. Travellers and Traveller support groups remained cynical about how genuine the attempt would be to address Travellers' needs. The PSI made its report in 2001 and an independent academic has since been engaged to consult with Travellers on the recommendations in that report.
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