October News - Pavee News
Irish Travellers Win Landmark Case in UK
Irish Travellers have been determined, by courts in England, to constitute a distinct ethnic group. This now means that Irish Travellers can enjoy the protection of the British Race Relations Act.
Among the 8 Irish Travellers involved in taking the case was Pat O' Leary.
"It's a great achievement for Travelling people. We're underestimated and uneducated. Now we're making it better for our children," said Pat O' Leary from London.
He encouraged other Travellers to now stand up for their rights. And, he said other Travellers could benefit from all his group had learned during this two-year case. The group was assisted by the British Commission for Racial Equality in preparing the case.
Martin Collins of Pavee Point added: "Finally we are getting recognition of our culture, which has been denied for a long time. It'll also give us all more confidence in using the legal process to assert our basic human rights."
Romany Gypsies won this recognition a number of years ago.
Accommodation Concerns
Pavee Point welcomes the recent publication of the first report of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultatitive Committee.
The past year has seen the Committee develop a range of initiatives such as a pilot scheme on management and maintenance of Traveller accommodation and the publication of guidelines on transient caravan parks. The Committee also plans to publish guidelines on Group Housing Schemes for Travellers.
However, it is with dismay that Pavee Point notes from the NTACC report, that only 127 new units of Traveller accommodation have been provided in recent years. Three thousand new units were promised as a result of the 1995 Task Force Report on Travellers.
The National Traveller Accommodation Act is now in place and provides a new legislative and administrative framework to accelerate the accommodation provisions that Travellers urgently need. Pavee Point is cautiously optimistic that there now exists real potential to make inroads into the Traveller accommodation situation.
All local authorities have now adopted 5 year plans for the accommodation of Travellers and submitted them to the Environment Department. These plans include provision for Consultative Committees to be made up of councillors, local authority officials and local Travellers and Traveller organisations.
Feedback to this organisation has raised concerns that this consultative mechanism is not working. It is vital that this consultative mechanism does work as it is essential to the provision of Traveller accommodation. Research on the operating mechanisms of these committees has been commissioned by the NTACC and we eagerly await the publication of the findings.
Further feedback leads Pavee Point to believe that local authorities are being selective about which sections of the Traveller Accommodation Act they implement. This Act gives local authorities increased powers to deal with illegal encampments. Local authorities seem to be quick to use these powers without necessarily complying with other sections of the Act - the provision of accommodation, for example. Many Travellers are beginning to feel the brunt of this unbalanced approach.
Pavee Point stresses that the Traveller Accommodation Act comes as a package and all elements of the Act must be implemented in an integrated way.
Loans for Caravans
Since 1st February this year, loans and grants are available from local authorities to Travellers who are in need of caravans. The aim of the scheme, which operates as part of the 1998 Traveller Accommodation Act, is to assist Traveller families living in substandard caravans or in overcrowded situations.
It is important that Traveller organisations make themselves familiar with guidelines on how the scheme should be implemented, which have been issued by The Traveller Accommodation Unit at the Environment Department.
Local Authorities have developed their own criteria for eligibility, which is causing problems. One local authority, for example, will not give assistance until Travellers get insurance for their trailers and will not assist Travellers who are on unofficial sites. So, it is important to contact the local authority to get a coy of their guidelines.
Pavee Point recommends that local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Group have some input as to what guidelines are introduced by local authorities.
Under the scheme, the maximum grant available is €500 and the maximum loan available is €5,000. If applying for a grant you must contribute at least 10% of the purchase price of the caravan. The Household Budget Scheme is recommended as a way of repaying the loan and the scheme will be reviewed in 1 year. s time.
Ethnic Question Dropped for Census 2001
We are sorry to report that the Irish Government will not run with an ethnic question in Census 2001. A letter from the Taoiseach's Office explained the questions - which contained the categories: white; Irish Traveller; Black; Chinese and Other - was not properly piloted. The Taoiseach stated it would be premature to include it in next year's census.
Pavee Point is dissatisfied with the alternative - a specific question relating to membership of the Irish Traveller Community. It will read: Are you a member of the Irish Traveller Community - Pavee Point does not support a move that segregates Travellers and also considers that many Travellers will not be inclined to answer such a specific question.
This means that, in 2001, yet another opportunity to collect useful data may be missed. Meanwhile an ethnic question will be included in the Northern Ireland census in five year's time.
WHO Award for Pavee Project
Pavee Point's Primary Health Care for Travellers Project was presented with a World Health Organisation award at the launch of a Project video in May this year.
The award acknowledges the Project as promoting 'Health for All' and promoting equity, solidarity, participation and an inter-sectoral approach.
The Project addresses the low uptake and utilisation of health services by Traveller women. "It is unacceptable that we Traveller women live 12 years less than settled women, or that only 5 out of every 100 Traveller women in Ireland are aged over 50 years," said Ms. Kathleen Joyce, Community Health Care Worker with the Project.
Lack of accessible information is seen as one of the reasons for the low uptake of health services and the production of the video "Pavee Beoir - Her Reproductive Health" is aimed at redressing this imbalance. The video targets cancer screening, family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, the menopause and details the services provided in local areas.
"I hope this video will address some of the fears and myths that prevent some Traveller women from looking after their health. I also hope it will demonstrate to health authorities the importance of having Traveller participation when they are developing community initiatives," said Ms. Joyce.
Pavee Point Office in the West
To facilitate better access nationwide Pavee Point has opened an office outside Dublin. Our new office is in Co. Mayo and it is hoped it will bring Pavee Point closer to Community Development Projects and Local Development Projects in the West and North West. To contact our Western office please telephone Gearoid O Riain at 087 616 5972.
Just in Time - with a capital 'T'
Finally, the State has agreed to use a capital 'T' for the word 'Traveller' in the Equal Status Act. This is a small but symbolic change and the Equal Employment Act will be amended accordingly.
Another important inclusion is the definition of Travellers. According to the definition: 'Traveller community' means the community of people who are commonly called Travellers and who are identified (both by themselves and others) as people with a shared history, culture and traditions including, historically, a nomadic way of life on the island of Ireland' . This definition is also included in the Northern Ireland Race Relations Order 1997.
Booklet for Pre -school Art Project
The ideas that worked best in a Pre-school art project have been published as a booklet by the Playtime Pre-school, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
The project, involving 3 community artists and funded by ADM, was reported as 'highly successful' . The idea was to bring a different approach to play and to introduce problem solving and creative co-operation. Materials that are cheap, rubbish or free and natural were used.
To get a copy of the booklet entitled 'Playtime!' , contact Gas McCarthy at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Linenhall St., Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Tel: 094 23733.
Workshops
The Local Development Training Institute run workshops of interest to the Community Development Activist on such topics as 'Gender Equality' , 'Disability Awareness Training', 'Repossessing Education in the Information Age' and 'Video Production in Community Development'. For further information contact the LDTI at (01) 2300640 or email at ldti@gofree.indigo.ie.