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. […]

The 1st March 2017 was an historic and momentous day for the Irish Traveller community and for equality in Ireland Taoiseach’s Statement on Traveller ethnicity here. Our Chairperson on recognition of Traveller ethnicity here. President presented with Traveller Ethnicity pin here. What does ethnic recognition mean for Travellers?  See our leaflet.  

Pavee Point won the National Adult Literacy Association(NALA)  ‘Plain English Award’ for public health information. The awards are given for producing information through language that is easy to read and understand. Inez Bailey, CEO of NALA said the winners had won ‘for thinking of the people who use their service and putting them first’. Our ‘Be […]

Helen McEntee, TD Minister for Mental Health and Older People visited Pavee Point today and heard about the serious mental health issues facing Travellers: ·         A suicide rate that is 7 times greater than the national average ·         Factors contributing to poor mental health among Travellers – unemployment, poor accommodation and discrimination ·         Barriers to […]

In February 2017 we held a series of workshops with SICAP Programme Implementers and reps from Local Community Development Committees on implementing an ethnic identifier in SICAP are kicking off in Dublin. This work follows on from an event in May 2016 whereby Pavee Point was asked to produce support and guidance material to assist […]

Gabi Muntean of Pavee Point’s Roma Project addressed the Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration at Dublin’s Mansion House on Sunday 29th January. “Hundreds and thousands of Roma and Sinti people were rounded up, forced into ghettos and deported to concentration and death camps, ” she said, “They wore an identifying black triangle on their camp uniforms […]

This week end two representatives from Pavee Point attended a meeting in Barcelona organised by The Romani Association of Women.  This meeting was to prepare for the second International Congress of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma women due to take place later this year.   Tracey Reilly and Fiona Nally spoke about the situation for Traveller […]

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality today (26th January 2017) recommended the State formally acknowledge Traveller ethnicity at the earliest date possible in 2017.  The Committee, comprised of 11 TDs and Senators from a range of parties and including Independents, urged the Taoiseach to make a statement to Dáil Eireann acknowledging that Irish Travellers  are, de […]

Ireland’s record on the protection and promotion of women’s rights will be under the scrutiny of the United Nations in Geneva next month.  On the 15th of February the Irish Government will be examined in front of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Pavee Point and National Traveller […]

Pavee Point welcomes today the publication of the ESRI’s research – ‘A Social Portrait of Travellers in Ireland’. This research is to be commended in its comprehensiveness – not just in terms of methodology but also in terms of the broad context of the study. “The research confirms a lot of what we have been […]

Roma children were delighted with their Christmas experience at Pavee Point yesterday. A big thank you to everyone who brought in presents and made this day such a success. Thanks to all the donations there was a feast of presents.  It was plenty of work getting everything wrapped and tagged – but all good fun. […]

Traveller groups in the Eastern Region received Health Service Executive Awards for their contributions on Traveller men’s health this year. The groups were congratulated for their participation in three main events – the Run A Muck Challenge, climbing Croagh Patrick and Traveller Men’s Health Day in the Phoenix Park. This was the first year of […]

The 10th European Platform for Roma Inclusion hears widespread deprivation is destroying Roma lives. European Agency for Fundamental Rights relased the results of a new survey on Roma inclusion to inform the debate. Families are living excluded from society in shocking conditions, while children with little education face bleak prospects for the future, the report […]

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr. Kathereine Zappone said it is important to confront barriers to Traveller inclusion in youth work and focus on how to lift these barriers. Why do young Travelles not feel welcome in mainstream youth groups?” asked the Minister at the launch of research into Traveller inclusion in mainstream youthwork. […]

 “I am deeply concerned at the persisting social exclusion and discrimination Travellers are confronted with in Ireland”, said the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks on 25th November 2016, concluding a three-day visit to the country.  With Travellers having been affected in a gravely disproportionate manner by budget cuts as a result […]

The lack of provision of social housing and Traveller accommodation is not connected to the Government’s policy on accepting Syrian refugees or other refugees. Pavee Point works in solidarity with other minority groups and seek to protect the human rights of all minorities. “We can understand people’s frustration at not getting permanent accommodation,” said Pavee […]

In Ireland the gap between Traveller men’s health and that of the general population is stark and staggering. Traveller men Live 15 years less than settled men. Have nearly 4 times the mortality of settled men Have a suicide rate that is 7 times higher than settled men Face an unemployment rate of 84% “Our lives are cut shorter […]