Speech by Éamon Ó Cuív TD, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs at the Galway Traveller Movement launch of ‘Travellers’ Health Matters’
Scríofa ag Eamon Ó Cuív Déardaoin, 11 Feabhra 2010
Níl leagan aistrithe ar fáil.Speech by Éamon Ó Cuív TD, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
at the Galway Traveller Movement launch of
‘Travellers’ Health Matters’
Buswells Hotel, Dublin
Thursday February 11th 2010, 11.30 am.
A chairde,
A warm welcome to everybody here today, particularly those who have travelled to be with us to launch this report by the Galway Traveller Movement. I welcome this publication and the research done into Travellers’ health issues. We know as a general fact that Travellers have a far shorter life expectancy than settled people. This is totally unacceptable.
It is generally acknowledged that life expectancy, lifestyle and living conditions are inextricably linked. However, what this study achieves is that it gives us scientific evidence of just how linked these elements are. The site selected in the survey lacked the most basic of facilities – electricity, plumbed water, flushing toilets and other fundamental parts of everyday life that most of us take for granted. It is hard to think that people still have to live in such conditions. This report highlights just how great the effect of such poor conditions is on people’s health.
I recognise that many individual agencies and the staff of many groups and NGOs are genuinely doing their best to improve the conditions of Travellers. However, this report would seem to indicate that there is at times a lack of a co-ordinated response. For example, let us look at a situation where a Public Health Nurse sees that having no electricity means that a family cannot heat bottles for a newborn baby and that this poses a health risk to the infant, within the confines of her particular job, how can she go about getting this problem addressed? These are big questions and they need answers.
I have always believed that when something needs to be done, that you just have to go and do it. The Blame Game for past deficiencies achieves nothing; it often leads to defensiveness, whereas what we all need to do is recognise the good points in past efforts, motivate those who are genuinely concerned, and agree that there is a better way of making progress. In the last twenty years, considerable parts of the jigsaw have been put in place and progress has certainly been made. This includes equality and other legislation that specifically protects Travellers, considerable funding, support for community groups and some examples of very good practice.
We know from reports such as this one that much remains to be done. Two main issues, I believe, now need attention: we need better coordination between all of the agencies and NGOs working with Travellers, and much greater participation by Travellers and consultation with Travellers in relation to their needs.
The State in recent years has recognised better coordination and involvement of specific groups as being an integral part of the way forward. For example, the setting up the local partnerships and the establishment of a dedicated Islands section within my Department. Indeed, one of the best examples has been the highly successful RAPID programme, a focussed Government response to tackle the 51 most disadvantaged areas in the country. Central to RAPID is community ownership and participation, and the integration of services in the RAPID areas has been very successful, with many innovative projects combining two or more community, voluntary or statutory agencies working together to great effect.
I would be interested in finding out from Travellers and their representative groups whether they believe that any of these models would offer them a useful and effective means of tackling the issues that affect their everyday lives.
I do not see Travellers as being a problem “to be solved,” but as a distinctive group in our society who should have the right to expect the same basic services, life expectancy and opportunities as any other group, and should not always have to live on the margin. The price of such equality should not be the enforced demise of their distinctiveness and their culture. I also do not accept that lawbreaking or anti-social behaviour is any more an intrinsic part of Traveller culture than it is of settled culture.
I have discussed these issues many times with my colleague, Minister of State for Equality, John Moloney TD, who I know is as concerned as I am about addressing the needs of the Travelling community. As Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, I will continue to work with my colleagues, in particular with Minister of State Moloney, Minister of State John Curran TD, who has responsibility for Community affairs, and with Minister of State Michael Finneran TD who is responsible for Housing, to see how current matters can be addressed and how we can focus on moving forward.
My congratulations on this excellent report, which will be of great use to policymakers and people working on the ground to try and improve the living conditions of Travellers.
