Press Release March 2005
2nd March 2005
UN Rapporteur to CERD on Ireland Appeals to Irish Government to recognise Travellers as an ethnic group
Pavee Point welcomes the appeal made by Mr. Herndl, the Austrian Rapporteur on Ireland at the hearing of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) Committee this afternoon in Geneva. Mr Herndl appealed to the Irish Government to reconsider its rejection of Travellers’ ethnicity. He queried the Irish Government’s reluctance to recognise Travellers as an ethnic group.
Mr Herndl questioned why Travellers were consigned to the Appendix of the Irish Government Report to CERD as Travellers were clearly covered by the CERD convention on the basis of descent in addition to ethnicity. Pavee Point particularly welcomes his call to the Irish Government to include Traveller representation on the Steering Group of the National Action Plan Against Racism. Mr Herndl stressed the importance of involving Travellers in both the establishment and execution of the National Action Plan Against Racism.
“I call on the Government to act on Mr Herndl’s advice”, said Martin Collins, Assistant Director of Pavee Point in Geneva this afternoon.
At today’s hearing 12 of the 18 independent human rights experts on the CERD Committee asked why Travellers were not recognised as an ethnic group. “If they are recognised internally in Ireland by many people and by the majority of people externally, why is the Irish Government taking this stance?” asked one CERD Committee member.
Referring to the transfer of jurisdiction from the Equality Tribunal to district courts of discrimination cases involving licensed premises, Mr Herndl said that this lowered the bar of expertise in relation to discrimination thereby limiting redress for Travellers. Mr Herndl called for the 2002 Housing Miscellaneous Act to be revoked and expressed shock at the high level of Traveller unemployment, concluding that “much needs to be done to make Ireland a better place for Travellers”. Pavee Point concurs with this expert assessment.
For further information, please contact Martin Collins or Terry Battles on 01 8780255 Ext 103
Issued by Pavee Point Travellers Centre, 46 North Great Charles Street, Dublin 1. 01 8780255