eNewsletter July 16, 2018 Traveller Organisations attend Dublin Pride! Register now for ITM AGM! Bill to include Traveller culture in school curriculum before Seanad ITM employs new Membership Officer - Sam Blanckensee & new Accommodation Worker - TJ Hogan Accommodation, Media and Oireachtas Updates CROSS-PARTY A number of Travellers spoke at the group's launch including Sindy Joyce, Martin Collins, Oein de Bhairduin and TRAVELLER Thomas McCann. The issues raised included peace and reconciliation, OIREACHTAS reparations, mental health and education. GROUP ITM hopes that this group will allow for meaningful discussion and signficant LAUNCHED progress to be made for Traveller A Cross-Party Traveller Oireachtas Group rights. was launched on Tuesday the 3rd of July. The members of the cross-party group The group was convened by Senator on Travellers are Senators Padraig Colette Kelleher & Jan O'Sullivan TD. The McLochlainn (SF), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin group will focus on core issues for the (Lab) and Martin Conway (FG); and TDs community, education, employment and Eamon Ó Cuiv (FF), Fiona O’Loughlin mental health, and says it will pursue (FF) , Eoin O Broin (SF) , Bríd Smith (S- these through the Dáil, Seanad and in PBP) , Clare Daly and Mick Wallace committees. (Independents4Change). JULY 16, 2018 Traveller and Roma Organisations take part in Dublin LGBTQ Pride ITM alongside our member organisations and fellow national Traveller organisations marched in Dublin's LGBTQ Pride Parade on the 30th of June. The members who took part greatly enjoyed the day and the feeling of solidarity amongst those in attendance. ITM Board Member Oein DeBhairduin spoke at the march. ITM Affiliation Fees now due! Affiliation fees are due by July 31st for 2018/2019 Membership and that registration is now open for the ITM Member AGM and Conference in Galway on the 12th of September. Membership costs €250 for Full/National Member Organisations, €100 for Associate Members and €40 for individual members ( €20 for unwaged). Updates Please contact [email protected] for more information and for membership forms. ITM welcomes Sam Blanckensee as National Membership Officer Sam started as our National Do you have something to share? Membership Officer on the 4th of July Email following work with Transgender [email protected] Equality Network Ireland in both Policy to have your news included in this & Research and National Development. newsletter Sam is very excited to be joining the ITM Staff and is looking forward to getting to know members. Sam can be reached at [email protected] Have your say! JULY 16, 2018 ACCOMMODATION UPDATE #TravellerHomesMatter National Accommodation ITM to launch National Traveller Consultative Traveller Accommodation Committee (NTACC) Update Campaign at AGM - from 27th June Meeting #TravellerHomesMatter 1. The expert panel has been set up. They are currently awaiting confirmation of membership to oversee the Review of Housing Traveller Accommodation Act 1998, ITM will launch the #TravellerHomesMatter campaign at our 2. The outstanding review of the role of the social worker was AGM 12th September 2018. discussed at NTACC and will be progressed. The aim of this campaign will be to highlight 3. The NTACC has just recently received the Housing Authority the critical accommodation crisis faced by Review of the Caravan Loan Report . A circular will be issued to members of the Travelling Community and all Local Authorities regarding the Operation of the Caravan to bring awareness to all sectors such as the Loan Scheme. Public & State. 4. The Dept have submitted proposed timelines to the Minister regarding the development of the new Traveller The campaign will develop a vision, and a set Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) 2019-2014. of plans working towards that vision (based on Traveller involvement and endorsement). ITM is pleased to welcome TJ Hogan to the team as The campaign will engage Travellers and National Accommodation ITM members and implement a mobilisation Worker. programme with local action groups. 'Hi my name is TJ Hogan I am a Traveller man from There will also be a political element of the Cork City. I am looking campaign and we will lobby for change on a forward to working with the local and national governmental level. Irish Traveller Movement in the role as the Accommodation Policy Officer working towards improving living conditions for Travellers across the island of Ireland.' New National Accommodation Worker starts today - TJ Hogan JULY 16, 2018 ACCOMMODATION UPDATE Galway Traveller Movement The conditions on the Headford road include rat infestation , fly infestation , living beside a dump and waste facility, toxic organise fumes, poor sanitation and dampness, walls collapsing, public health issues including respiratory conditions , isolation as there are no footpaths so access on and off the sites is only #TravellerHomesNow Protest by car. The residents of the sites are paying rent for living in Galway Traveller activists are calling for Councillor Declan Mc Donnell these substandard conditions. to resign as chairperson of the Galway City Council Housing Strategic Policy Committee due to the Councillor showing a bias against the Teresa Donoghue who works in the after school project on Traveller Community with regards their accommodation needs. This the Headford Road said that “It is a scandal that there here contributes to the existing inequality experienced by the Community. are over 70 children living in these conditions being denied A vote of no confidence from the Traveller community. their basic human rights and suffering on a day to day basis” Both the private and public sectors need to step up to their Members of the Traveller community are deeply upset and hurt by the obligations under equality and human rights law if we are to comments made by Declan Mc Donnell in the Connacht Tribune Friday break the cycle of inequality and discrimination in housing.” July the 6th. Members of the Traveller community with the support of Says Joanna Corcoran of the Galway Traveller Movement the NGO’s in the City believe that Councillor Mc Donnell needs to be held to account for promoting anti Traveller sentiments and for trying Joanna Corcoran was one of the representatives who walked to apportion blame to the Traveller community for the growing out of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative homeless numbers in Galway City and County. He also showed Committee in June 2017 mainly based on the political disrespect to the Traveller community by talking about quotas for negative attitude towards members of the Traveller numbers of people living in estates. No other community in Galway city community displayed by some councillors. would be singled out in such a fashion. This approach by the Councillor “It is a sad day for Galway when the chairperson of the will cause further division within communities and does nothing more Housing SPC can get away with running down my than pit one group living in difficult circumstances against another. The community with no consideration or accountability for the high numbers of Traveller families registered as homeless is evidence hurt and humiliation caused” Joanna Corcoran , Community of a systems failure within the local authority and years of neglect in worker with GTM. recognising the cultural needs of this community. She continued by stating that “GTM will be making a formal complaint to the Irish Human Rights and Equality The Cllr Mc Donnell forgot to mention in his article that Galway City Commission” Council have failed to meet their own targets with regards providing culturally appropriate accommodation over the last 15 years under the The Galway Traveller community in collaboration with the Traveller Accommodation Programme. This has led to over 75 Galway Traveller Movement held a Traveller Traveller families living in third world conditions on the halting sites Accommodation Inquiry in November 2017 where the and group housing schemes in the city. Many other Traveller families Human Rights accommodation violations against the are living in overcrowded conditions in standard housing and unable to Traveller community were exposed. The Galway Traveller access private rented accommodation due to discrimination and the community will be launching their first Traveller lack of availability. These are the main reasons for the growing Accommodation monitoring report in the Centre for Human numbers of Traveller families accessing homeless services. The Rights on the 20th of July between 11.00 – 1.00. conditions on the Headford road include rat infestation , fly infestation Accountability and Transparency will be on the top of the , living beside a dump and waste facility, toxic fumes, poor sanitation Agenda. Those who wish to show solidarity with the and dampness, walls collapsing, public health issues including Traveller Community are welcome to attend. respiratory conditions , isolation as there are no footpaths so access on and off the sites is only by car. The residents of the sites are paying GTM held a protest directly connected to Councillor Mc rent for living in these substandard conditions. Donnell’s anti Traveller comments outside Galway City Council Meeting on Monday the 16th. JULY 16, 2018 BILL TO INCLUDE Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Senator Catherine Noone (FG), Senator Martin TRAVELLER CULTURE Conway (FG), Senator Robbie Gallagher (FF), IN SCHOOL Senator Michael McDowell, Senator Pádraig CURRICULUM BEFORE Mac Lochlainn, Senator Ivana Bacik, SEANAD (Lab), Senator Grace O'Sullivan (Grn) and On the 11th of July, a Bill proposed by Senator Colette Senator John Dolan. The Minister for Kelleher from the Civic Engagement Group in Seanad Education, Richard Bruton also spoke and Éireann passed through Second Stage in the Seanad. said that he would not block the bill, he spoke Catherine Joyce spoke on behalf of the Irish Traveller about the need for change and the work of Movement at a Private Members Briefing in Leinster the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion House on the morning of the 11th. She spoke about her Strategy.