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. […]

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 […]