Category: News

March 1st 2017 was a historic day for Ireland. After decades of campaigning by Travellers and allies, activists and human rights organisations there finally came the moment when the State recognised that Travellers were a minority ethnic group. The excitement on that day was palpable. When the Taoiseach made his address, the emotion and pride […]

Minister Paschal Donohoe, TD, spoke about how important the recognition of Traveller ethnicity is on a visit to Pavee Point today. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform said he was proud to be part of the Government that recognised Traveller ethnicity and acknowledged how important it is for Traveller culture and identity The Minister met […]

Pavee Point signed up to the Healthy Ireland Network Charter. This Network was launched thanks to the work of the Health Ireland Council, who in 2016, identified ‘health and wellbeing’ as a priority for the country in the next 100 years. This new Network will help provide a platform for organisations to connect with others, […]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Rural, Regional and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, TD, sampled the enthusiasm and energy for arts and heritage at Pavee Point and reiterated her belief in pride in Traveller culture. The Minister recalled her own family’s contact with Travellers in the days gone by and said her programme ‘Creative Ireland’ was committed to enabling […]

Congratulations to Rosaleen McDonagh, playwright, on her election to Aosdána.  She is the first Irish Traveller to receive this honour. Rosaleen says she is ‘delighted’ with the news and that her election came as a surprise. “Poet, Michael O’Loughlin and writer Colm McCann nominated me.  It was never my ambition or on my horizon.  I […]

It is good news that the new National Women’s Strategy 2017-2020 contains specific actions in relation to Traveller and Roma women.  This wasn’t the case in the last Strategy. It is our experience that Traveller/Roma are often ignored if not specifically named in policy documents. The Strategy locates some of these actions with the National […]

EU Roma Week saw the first session of ‘Community Work in a Changing Ireland’ – a course for Traveller and Roma leaders – take place at NUI, Maynooth. This course is taking place over four sessions between now and October and aims:  To promote effective intercultural community development to improve the communication and co-operation between Travellers […]

Today’s Census 2016 results show an increase in the numbers of Irish Travellers – a sign, partly at least, of the success in getting across the message of the importance of ethnic data collection. Census 2016 results show a population increase of 5.1% to almost 31,000 Irish Travellers in the Republic. ‘It is very important to […]

Maynooth University calls for action on the low levels of Traveller participation in higher educaiton in its report ‘Traveller in Higher Education’, launched today. The report places particular emphasis on mature students, becaues of the particular challenges of re-entering formal education in early adult life for many Travellers. Anastasia Crickley, former Head of Maynooth University […]

This year for International Roma Day we are asking Roma community members what makes them proud to be Roma? My name is Gina. I was born in Romania. I’ve been in Ireland for sixteen years. I am training to be a nurse so I can help people. Why are you proud to be Roma? I am […]

Traveller and Roma women highlighted the mental health issues for their communities at the World Congress on Women’s Mental Health which took place in Dublin’s RDS from the 6th to 9th March. Our Primary Health Care Project produced a booklet for the event – Pavee Beoirs and Lackeens: Our Health, Our Words, which highlights some of the […]

Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre extends its condolences and sympathies to the bereaved relatives and friends of Annmarie O’ Brien (27), Paris O’ Brien (2), Holly O’Brien (3) and Jordan O’Brien (4) who died as a result of a tragic fire in Dublin that took place in the early hours of the 8th of […]

International  Women’s Day 2017 is the first year  Traveller women can celebrate their identity as women  and as an ethnic group – as Traveller ethnicity was recognised by the State just one week ago. It’s a busy day for Traveller and Roma women. Trade Union Meeting Tessa Collins of our Violence Against Women programme will be speaking tonight […]

The State should take concrete measures to improve health, education, housing and employment outcomes for Traveller women and girls – says the UN Committee reporting on the Irish Government’s performance under the Convention On Eliminating All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  In its concluding observations, having heard from the Irish Government and NGOs, the […]

March 1st was a historic and symbolic day for Travellers as their more than thirty year struggle to have their ethnicity fully recognized and acknowledged was successfully concluded by the fullsome  statement by the Taoiseach in the Dail. It also marks an event of historic and symbolic importance for all who support human rights and […]

Statement by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD On the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group Dáil Éireann 1 March 2017 A Cheann Comhairle, Thank you for making time in the House today for this historic and symbolic recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group within the Irish nation. Robbie is a 17-year-old young man. […]