Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre welcomes the naming of Travellers as a priority group in the Department of Health’s long-awaited policy document ‘Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ published yesterday (17 June 2020)  However, it is disappointing that ‘Sharing the Vision’ does not go as far as to include targeted actions aimed […]

Pavee Point extends its sympathy and support towards the Reilly family – the daughters and younger sister of James Reilly who has been convicted of repeated rape and sexual abuse of the daughters and his younger sister over a 23 year period.  “The courage and strength of the survivors of such horrific abuse and neglect […]

Tipperary Rural Travellers Project would like to publicly state their support for the Reilly family in thewake of the recent court judgement. We cannot even begin to imagine the pain and trauma thefamily has endured, and we want also to commend the Reilly women in the courage, determination and humanity they have shown under such […]

Pavee Point welcomes many of the commitments regarding Travellers and Roma outlined in a draft Programme for Government agreed and published today –  but highlights the challenges of implementation. “The Coronavirus pandemic has shown that we can achieve things that previously seemed impossible,” said Ronnie Fay, Co Director Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre.  “Travellers […]

Pavee Point very much welcomes the appointment of Traveller woman Rosaleen McDonagh as a commissioner to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Rosaleen is a Traveller woman with a disability, playwright and IHREC Disability Advisory Committee member and will bring a wealth of experience and analysis to her work with the Commission. Rosaleen was […]

Like many Irish people I am outraged by the death in police custody of George Floyd and by the responses of his country’s leadership. Yesterday’s minutes silence in Dáil Éireann was a good gesture of our national solidarity with his family, community, African Americans, and people everywhere experiencing racism. It also needs to reflect a […]

Gabi Mutean, Community Development Worker talks about Roma Resistance Day “We commemorate the uprisings at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp of Roma prisoners.  The SS came to the Gypsy Camp to send all the prisoners to the gas chamber . “The Roma prisoners armed themselves with stones and tools and barricaded themselves in the barracks so […]

Pavee Point highlighted mental health inequalities for Travellers and the impact of COVID19 on Travellers mental health at a conference with policy makers on mental health yesterday. We outlined our concerns around an increase in racism and discrimination towards Travellers and Roma during this time.   “We are worried about the further impact that this will have on […]

More than 1 in 10 women worldwide experience mental health issues during and after pregnancy.  We know Traveller women are disproportionately affected by poor mental health and suicide so it’s really important to support Traveller women during this time.  Pregnancy affects different women in different ways, both physically and emotionally and these are challenging times for […]

Playwright Rosaleen McDonagh is among 100 writers asked to participate in The Abbey Theatre – Dear Ireland – theatrical postcards during COVID19.  These are rapid response monologues written and recorded in self-isolation and are The Abbey Theatre’s way of supporting theatre during this crisis while also capturing this moment in our history.  Rosaleen’s piece will […]