Press Release 29th September 2006
Pavee Point welcomes UN Committee Recommendations pertaining to Traveller Children
Pavee Point welcomes the concluding observations and recommendations of the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child issued today in Geneva. Pavee Point particularly welcomes the focus on Traveller children in a number of recommendations pertaining to children’s rights and access to essential services in relation to health, accommodation and education.
The UN Committee recommends that:
The State party:
Work more concretely towards the recognition of the Traveller community as an ethnic group as called for by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERC/C/IRL/CO/2 para.20); 2004.
"The Irish Government can no longer ignore increasing domestic and international calls for the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group. There is now a growing body of evidence which is being supported by academics and international and domestic human rights bodies including the UN, Human Rights Commission, Equality Authority and others which calls for the recognition of Travellers ethnicity" says Martin Collins, Assistant Director Pavee Point.
Some other recommendations include that the State party:
- Pay special attention to needs of refugee and asylum-seeking children, and children belonging to the Traveller community, inter alia, by implementing the existing National Strategy for Traveller Health.
- Publish and disseminate the prepared Traveller Education Strategy and undertake training activities for teachers in order to sensitize them to Traveller issues and inter-cultural approaches
- Implement the recommendations of the Task Force on the Traveller community; and
- Provide in its next report detailed information on measures taken in order to enhance the enjoyment of the rights of children belonging to the Traveller community, in particular with regard to enjoyment and access to education, health services and housing facilities.
"We now 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", concludes Martin Collins. ENDS
Concluding Observations:
Download in PDF format
For further information please contact Martin Collins or Terry Battles on 01 8780255
Issued by Pavee Point Travellers Centre, 46 North Great Charles St, Dublin 1.
Terry Battles
Information Coordinator,
Pavee Point Travellers Centre,
46 North Great Charles St.,
Dublin 1