Pavee Point’s Co-Directors Martin Collins and Lynsey Kavanagh submitted statements on February 3rd to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, highlighting the central role of discrimination and social determinants in shaping Traveller health outcomes, and the critical importance of Traveller Primary Health Care Projects.
Citing the Irish findings of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, launched that morning, they outlined how racism and exclusion continue to manifest in poor health outcomes, low educational attainment, high unemployment and inadequate living conditions, with almost 40% of Travellers qualifying as homeless.
Traveller health inequalities are well documented, with significantly lower life expectancy and higher rates of chronic disease, mortality, and suicide. Both Martin and Lynsey called for full implementation of the National Traveller Health Action Plan, stressing the vital role played by the Traveller Primary Health Care Projects, peer-led initiatives largely staffed by Traveller women, and the importance of protecting these projects and ensuring that Traveller Primary Health Care Workers are properly remunerated for their work, time and expertise.
While acknowledging incremental improvements, including slightly increased life expectancy and better access to mainstream services and screening, they stressed that progress must be protected and is dependent on sustained partnership between Traveller organisations, the HSE, and the Department of Health. In order to deliver on the implementation of the agreed recommendations of NTRIS II, TRES, NTHAP and the 5-year Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs), and to better target and measure progress in addressing Traveller health inequalities, they urged more robust, vigorous and effective structures and systems, long-term funding commitments, and improved ethnic data collection.
Watch the meeting, or read the transcript here