Recent reports and evidence indicate that Irish Travellers are one of the most marginalised groups in society (Commission for Racial Equality ‘CRE’, 2006, 13).
Irish Travellers and other Traveller groups fare the worst of any ethnic group in terms of health and education: life expectancy for men and women is ten years lower than the national average; Gypsy and Irish Traveller mothers are twenty times more likely than mothers in the rest of the population to have experienced the death of a child (Van Cleemput et al, 2004); and in 2003 less than one quarter of Irish Traveller and Gypsy children obtained five GCSEs at A – C grades compared to a national average of just over half (Department for Education and Skills, 2005).
According to data collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government one third of the caravan dwelling Gypsy and Irish Traveller community do not have a legal or secure place to live. One third live on unauthorised encampments (the roadside) or on unauthorised developments (live on own land and await a planning application). Many of these are subjected to or live in fear of eviction. Some Travellers live on local authority sites, many occupy marginal space and they enjoy few tenancy rights. The shortage of sites has led to many Irish Travellers now living in housing. Many of these feel isolated and vulnerable and have poor access to services.
Irish Travellers together with Gypsies are one of the most unfairly reported on minorities in the media (Stonewall 2003). Prejudiced and ill informed media reports create dangerous and negative stereotypes about Irish Travellers.
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