Category: News

This week’s decision by Judge Mary Larkin to jail 10 Traveller parents for failing to send their children to school highlights the importance of protecting education as a human right. Pavee Point is committed to the attainment of human rights for all Traveller and Roma children. All children have the right to an education and […]

Martin Collins of Pavee Point spoke today at the launch of ICCL’s ‘Your Rights. Right Now’ – a new audit on Ireland’s human rights performance. The report endorsed  by 17 NGOs, trade unions and civil society groups led to calls for the implementation of recommendations from the last review and further recognition of human rights. […]

This week’s Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA) recommendation to move from universal to selective BCG vaccination against TB for high risk groups raises concerns.  A serious concern is that the Government acts to improve Traveller living conditions. Why are Travellers a High Risk Group? Firstly, it is important to understand why Travellers have been […]

Pavee Point’s Hilary Harmon held a workshop at INTO’s conference to review DEIS – Poverty and Social Inclusion in Education at the week-end. Hilary presented a workshop ‘Ensuring Inclusion:  The challenges for Traveller and Roma children in Education’ and highlighted the role that ethnic data can play in improving educational outcomes for all children including […]

Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, Sec Gen of Council of Europe with Martin Collins, Pavee Point and Joe Jones, UK Gypsy  Council at COE meeting in Strasbourg. A new dialogue mechanism within the Council of Europe is giving Roma and Traveller initiatives working at national and local level a voice in Europe. “This shows new energy and […]

President Michael D. Higgins gave an inspiring speech at Pavee  Point today (18th November) at our 30th Anniversary celebration.  The President spoke with emotion about the discrimination and racism that Travellers experience  and recalled when Travellers were segregated in school classrooms and school yards. He said the recent Carrickmines fire tragedy raised important issues for […]

Photo: Patrick Reilly, Pavee Point with John Connors and Helen Hutchinson at ‘Lived Lives: a Pavee Perspective “Suicide in Ireland is at epidemic proportions.  In the Traveller community it’s like a plague and seems to be infectious,” said John Connors Love/Hate actor and Traveller when he launched the exhibition ‘Lived Lives: A Pavee Perspective’ this […]

This week saw Traveller ethnicity debated for the first time in Dáil Eireann and gave rise to a passionate plea from Equality Minister Aodhán O Riordáin to move away from ‘focus group equality’ to stand by the truth.  “The truth is that the Travelling community in this State, in this Republic are a distinct ethnic […]

Traveller Groups today (Nov 3rd) walked out of a Government conference in protest at lack of progress on Traveller accommodation.   The conference was organised for Local  Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees (LTACCs) who said today they are being stonewalled in their work by local representatives who represent a racist agenda.  LTACCs were set up to […]

Today (Oct 29th)  is a big day for Geraldine and Annmarie McDonnell (pictured with Professor Philip Nolan) who pick up the parchment to say they graduate from Maynooth University. The graduation ceremony takes place in the Aula Maxima and both are graduating in an honours degree programme – Bachelor of Arts Community and Youth Work. […]

There was a fantastic show of cross community solidarity and support for Travellers at a Minceirs Whiden led protest outside Dáil Eireann today (28th Oct). Speakers included Brigid Quilligan of the Irish Traveller Movement, Patrick Nevin of Minceirs Whiden,  Maria Joyce of the National Traveller Womens’ Forum  and Martin Collins of Pavee Point at what […]

Hundreds of Irish Travellers from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast, Cavan, Navan and all over England & Wales joined thousands of Roma in St. Peter’s Basilica for a special papal audience on Bank Holiday Monday (26th of October). The Irish group were preparing from 4.50am and left the hotel to begin queuing in St. Peter’s Square […]

Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre is extremely disappointed at today’s announcement that talks to accommodate the bereaved Traveller families of the Carrickmines fire at the best site selected by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council – have failed. ‘Once again Travellers’ rights to a decent place to live come second place to the demands of […]

The family in Athlone whose child was removed from their home in 2013 have secured €60,000 damages in a settlement of their legal action.  Pavee Point welcomes the awarding of damages in light of the trauma that the young child endured.  The Logan Report noted the serious impact of these events on the child and […]

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has told the United Nations Human Rights Council that Travellers should be recognised by the Irish Government as an ethnic minority – as a priority. “While there has been some progress in advancing the dialogue on Traveller ethnicity, the State has not formally recognised Travellers as an ethnic […]