A delegation of the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities visited Pavee Point this week as part of its country visit to Ireland.
We were delighted to welcome the delegates and there was a roundtable discussion on the issues facing Travellers and Roma in Ireland today. In the afternoon there was a focus group with a number of young Traveller men looking at particular issues in relation to men’s health.
The delegation also visited Traveller accommodation in North Dublin see first hand the challenges Traveller families have to face living on unauthorised sites without services and in sub-standard authorised sites.
This is the fourth visit made by the Advisory Committee to Ireland. The Advisory Committee will have meetings with representatives of the government as well as civil society and national minorities to discuss the implementation of the Framework Convention with relevant stakeholders.
The delegation includes Mr Besarion Bokhashvili, Advisory Committee member elected in respect of Georgia, Ms Marie Hagsgård, Advisory Committee member elected in respect of Sweden, Mr Detlev Rein, Advisory Committee member elected in respect of Germany and Mr Jean-Etienne Kautzmann, Administrator, Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
Following this visit, the Advisory Committee will draw up its fourth opinion on the implementation of the Framework Convention in Ireland containing specific findings and recommendations for follow-up. The fourth opinion is expected to be adopted in October 2018.
Photographs by Derek Speirs.
