*Clancy Park.
CLARE TRAVELLER Development Project have expressed their shock and disappointment at an emergency motion passed by Clare councillors last month.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, coordinator of the Clare Traveller CDP, Bridgie Casey criticised councillors for “pandering to stereotypes and discrimination to gain votes in forthcoming local elections”.
She said comments made in the Council Chamber were “in breach of Anti Racism Election Protocols supported by all the political parties. Our elected representatives are there to represent all their constituents, and not just some of them”.
Bridgie added, “In speaking to the motion councillors attribute a list of anti-social behaviour to our community and also potentially slander Traveller individuals. Any illegal behaviour should not be tolerated and should be properly investigated by the Gardaí and people should be held accountable but, councillors should know better than to blame and demonise a whole community for the actions of any individual”.
She continued, “The question of so called ‘illegal encampments’ is a complicated one with a long history that includes oppression and marginalisation of Travellers by the State and a failure by local authorities to provide Traveller accommodation, despite having the funds and powers to do so. The vast majority of Travellers on the side of the road are there because they don’t have anywhere else to go. Travellers want a decent place to live where they can feel safe. Moving families from pillar to post does nothing to resolve the issue”.
A report from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the comments of Chief Commissioner Sinead Gibney in 2020 that “The State’s provision of Traveller accommodation has drawn widespread international condemnation including from the UN, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU and the Council of Europe,” were referenced by Bridgie.
“As a result of inequalities experienced by Travellers across education, accommodation and health – Travellers live in severely overcrowded living conditions with a homelessness rate of 39%. Travellers die at least 10 years younger than their counterparts in the majority population and Travellers experience a suicide rate that is seven times the suicide rate in the majority population. If Traveller accommodation had been provided as laid out in the 1992 Traveller Accommodation Act, Travellers would not be experiencing many of the injustices they experience today. It is time that politicians stop sowing the seeds of hate and instead lead out in supporting people’s rights to a decent place to live and respect for their cultures and identities”.
