Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre is extremely disappointed at today’s announcement that talks to accommodate the bereaved Traveller families of the Carrickmines fire at the best site selected by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council – have failed.
‘Once again Travellers’ rights to a decent place to live come second place to the demands of the majority population,’ said Martin Collins, Pavee Point Co Director, “This situation is a sad indictment of our society and raises issues that need to be urgently addressed.”
It is shocking that the bereaved Traveller families will be accommodated at a site that is described as ‘not ideal’ by the Council itself and does not have access to proper sewage facilities.
If in these tragic and urgent circumstances the County Council cannot assert its authority in acting in the best interests of its citizens, what chance do Traveller families have in other, less urgent, situations?
While Pavee Point understands that this stand- off could not be allowed to drag on, to the further detriment of the bereaved families, the ineffectiveness of local authorities to address Traveller accommodation from an equality and human rights standpoint is glaring.
Once again we call for the establishment of a Traveller Agency to monitor, co-ordinate and, where appropriate, enforce the implementation of Government policy on Travellers in the areas of accommodation, health, education, equality and employment.