Press Release June 2007

20th June 2007.

Pavee Point and the Roma Support Group calls on Government to offer humane support to Roma Families camping on roundabout.

“The situation where approximately 28 Roma adults and 16 children are camping rough on a roundabout in North County Dublin needs urgent humane attention”, says Pavee Point Director, Ms Ronnie Fay. The Roma Support Group and Pavee Point have been engaging with the families camping in dire conditions for the last six weeks.

“In our own work we have been flagging the situation with the relevant statutory agencies and working with them in attempt to affect positive outcomes for the families involved. However, new legislation brought in by the former Minister for Justice last year means that many of the statutory agencies have their hands tied in relation to this situation and are unable to commit resources or supports to these families. There are no dedicated resources to deal with the issues facing these Roma or Roma in Ireland generally in a constructive way”, says Ms Fay.

This new legislation means that although Bulgaria and Romania are now members of the E.U. their citizens have restricted rights and are not entitled to social welfare and other supports. Given the level of discrimination Roma face they are particularly at risk of homelessness, poverty and social exclusion.

“This crisis where families are camping rough needs to be seen in the context of all the OSCE, Council of Europe and European Commission reports on the situation of Roma within Romania-where human rights are denied on a daily basis,” says Ms Fay.

Amnesty International's 2007 Report highlighted the situation in Romania of Police brutality and non response, forced evictions, educational segregation, with Roma children routinely being placed in schools for the ‘mentally disabled’, discrimination in accessing employment, health care, inadequate housing and public and private services.

Human Rights abuses of Roma is not limited to Romania but unfortunately mirrored across Europe and is well documented by international human rights monitoring organizations including the United Nations, the OSCE, Human Rights Watch, ENAR and Amnesty International. “A Eurpoean solution is required to this European wide problem and the Irish Government needs to be at the forefront at looking at the issues that need to be addressed,”says Ms Fay

Pavee Point and the Roma Support Group and call:

on the new Minster for Justice to take a humane approach to the families camping in appalling conditions.
for a "know before you go" policy that is understandable to all prospective journeyers so they can make an informed decision whether or not to travel to Ireland.
on the Irish government to put pressure on the Romanian government to ensure the improvement of human rights and living conditions for Roma in Romania, particularly in relation to accessing education and employment, citizenship rights and freedom and protection from police brutality and institutional racism.
for resources to undertake work with Roma within Ireland.

ENDS

For further information contact Sara Russell, Roma Programme Coordinator, Pavee Point Travellers Centre/ Terry Battles Information Officer 01 8780255 Ext: 103.

Editor’s Note:

The European Roma Rights Centre’s Report " State of Impunity: Human Rights Abuse of Roma in Romania" (2001) states "Actions against Roma – by violent attack, denial of basic rights, or by the blatant or subtle forces of discrimination – as a rule go unpunished or inadequately punished in Romania. Major episodes of community violence against Roma- deadly pogroms featuring mass arson and mob killing- have resulted in travesties of justice..."

For further information on the situation of Roma see European Commission 2004 Report Situation of Roma in an Enlarged European Union
www.errc.org/db/00/E0/m000000E0.pdf

Press Release June 2007

Pavee Point and the Roma Support Group calls on Government to offer humane support to Roma Families camping on roundabout.

Update, July 2007 - Further information: