This is what the political parties promise Travellers in their Election Manifestos:
Fianna Fail
“Although very significant improvements have been made over the last fifteen years, there remain serious issues with regards educational disadvantage for children from the Traveller community. Fianna Fáil is committed to ensuring that Traveller children secure top quality education, to include outcomes (in terms of transfer to further levels and success rates) on a par with those of the settled community. In addition, it is essential that these children’s experiences in education are respectful of the unique culture and mores of the Traveller community. To ensure ongoing improvements for education outcomes among the Traveller Community, Fianna Fáil will restore the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers at a cost of approximately €2 million.”
Fine Gael
“In a new term, we will develop a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, built on our three pillars, which will tackle inequality and poverty.
Our Integrated Framework will outline measures to help eliminate any persisting discrimination on grounds of gender, age, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion or membership of the Traveller Community. It will draw on existing as well as new strategies, in particular the (i) New Pathways to Work Plan for Jobless Households, (ii) New National Women’s Strategy, (iii) New National Disability Inclusion Strategy, (iv) Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, (v) National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, and (vi) New Action Plan for Educational Inclusion.
National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy: We will publish a revised National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, aimed at improving the lives of members of the Traveller and Roma communities.”
Labour
“We support the formal recognition of the Travelling Community as a group in Irish society with a unique culture, heritage and ethnic identity. In government we have outlined the roadmap to achieve this by commencing work on a new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. We will continue to consult with Traveller NGOs on the completion and implementation of this Strategy to address the accommodation, health, education and other issues faced by the Traveller community. We will give responsibility to the Housing Agency to address key concerns around housing for Travellers. We will also look at innovative ways of offering support for education and work place activation for members of the Travelling community. We will more than double the number of Travellers going to college.”
Sinn Fein
“We will recognise the ethnicity status of the Travelling community, including their right to traveller specific accommodation.”
Green Party
“Recognise the Traveller Community as a minority ethnic group .
Initiating an audit of local authorities’ delivery and implementation of Traveller accommodation plans”
People Before Profit
“Recognition of Traveller ethnicity by the Irish State.”
“Establish an Independent National Housing Agency to oversee the delivery of safe and culturally appropriate Traveller Accommodation.”
Anti-Austerity Alliance
“Traveller accommodation was cut from €70 million to €3 million per annum in the period from 2007 to 2013. It is an outrage that travellers are forced to live in gravely sub-substandard accommodation as a result of the absence of properly funded and equipped halting sites.”
“For investment in properly resourced halting sites. Reverse the cuts to Traveller accommodation.”
“The AAA opposes the horrendous discriminations faced by the Travelling community in Ireland and supports their right to be recognised as an ethnic group”.
“End discrimination against the Travelling community. Recognise Travellers as an ethnic group.”
Social Democrats
No mention.
Renua
No mention.