New reports and research shows the impact of COVID-19 on Travellers
Travellers and COVID-19
COVID-19 exacerbated existing health inequalities and has further exposed the issues Travellers continue to experience due to neglect by the State. Recently published reports and our own research, substantiate this.
“There is no point giving people coping skills when in fact they’re coping with unacceptable situations so we have to change both, we have to change the situations that people find themselves in and the stresses that they’re under constantly and then we also have to give people more capacity to cope” Dr. Mike Ryan
Traveller’s Mental Health: Reflections on the Impact of COVID-19.
by Gráinne Meehan
While we know that mental health inequalities were longstanding and a daily lived experience for many Travellers before COVID-19, this research captures the impact of this pivotal moment in our history on Travellers nationally.
“How were you to isolate in trailers, only one or two bedrooms and one toilet – couldn’t not touch anything, Travellers had that harder, and usually a lot of people in a house” – Research respondent
Download this report here.
Our report findings show:
- Limited access to protective factors; overcrowding due to the chronic lack of Traveller accommodation stopped any way to socially distance and prevent further outbreaks.
- Lack of access to running water and electricity remains to be an issue forTravellers.
- Digital tools during the pandemic were not accessible to Travellers with low literacy skills, and has widened the educational disadvantages faced by young people due to the lack of access to online resources.
- Travellers place significant importance on engaging with extended family and community; movement restrictions were therefore particularly difficult.
- Unemployment from casual labour, movement restrictions, racism and discrimination from the State all contributed to significantly more stress in this period.
- The limited resources available for the Primary Healthcare for Travellers Projects, who are the frontline workers for Travellers, experienced high levels of burnout and strain during this time.
Pavee Mothering During COVID-19
By Ciara Bradley and Anne Marie O’Dowd
Download this report here.
The COVID-19 pandemic created further challenges for Traveller women who were pregnant and in early motherhood. International data highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority ethnic groups, including Travellers and Roma (Yaya et al 2020).
“…imagine being in a trailer with a tap outside, maybe five or six children in the trailer and bringing a new baby.”
“[During labour] I felt I was getting no attention, like the nurses were just ignoring ya. Like when I was voicing me concerns to them like I just felt that they weren’t listening”.
Throughout the pandemic, maternity services transformed dramatically to reduce the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks. Traveller mothers, already facing racism and discrimination in health services, faced further challenges during COVID-19.
Our report findings show:
- Racism, discrimination and stereotyping reported by Traveller mothers in maternity services.
- A lack of information and communication with staff, especially during labour and in times of crisis, added to their distress.
- The lack of partner and family support at appointments during early labour, and sometimes during the actual birth, lead to distress for the women.
- Delays in breastfeeding support and information resulted in little success in breastfeeding.
Research by Pobal/ESRI found:
- Higher COVID-19 cases among Travellers, and 50% higher infection rates in deprived areas
- Areas with Travellers also had higher ICU admissions, probably related to the higher rates of underlying health conditions among Travellers.
The existence of a well-established Traveller Health Infrastructure was notable throughout the pandemic. The seven regional Traveller Health Units (THUs) and 27 local Traveller Primary Health Care Projects (TPHCPs) played key roles in mitigating the worst of COVID-19 among the community. Given Travellers’ underlying health inequalities and chronic health conditions, as well as poor living conditions, it is testimony to the work of Traveller organisations TPHCPs that the potential impact of COVID-19 was mitigated to the extent it was among Travellers.
- Fully resource and implement the Traveller Health Action Plan, this includes increasing core funding for Primary Health Care Projects to support ongoing implementation at local and national levels.
- Address the terms and conditions of Traveller Health Workers in line with HSE to parity of esteem.
- Medical cards for all Travellers given health inequalities.
- Public health to continue its engagement and ongoing involvement with Traveller Health Units and Traveller organisations to address Traveller health inequalities.
- Racism and discrimination is a core feature of the compounding effects of health inequalities for Travellers, Roma and other minority ethnic groups. Anti-racism training for health services.
- Implementation of ethnic equality monitoring across all routine administrative data collection systems, including in the GRO.
- The State’s COVID-19 enquiry must reflect and act upon the widening inequalities resulting from the pandemic, particularly for minority ethnic groups. Future pandemic planning must take into account the multiple disadvantages faced by Travellers in these periods.
- Implement all recommendations issued by the independent Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation with a time lined implementation plan, tangible targets, corresponding accountability measures and budget.
Read Pavee Point’s resources to support Travellers and Roma throughout COVID-19:
https://www.paveepoint.ie/topics/covid19/
Additional reports:
https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/ie_report_-_covid-19_impact_on_roma_en.pdf
ESRI report – (link tbc):
https://www.paveepoint.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pavee-Point-COVID-Report-2020.pdf