Attack on traveller community in advance of further budget cuts?

by Aragon Mon Jan 05, 2009 19:23

"Nancy Power, Co-Ordinator of National Traveller MABS, spoke about research conducted by Traveller MABS into ‘Creditable Alternatives’, and also outlined the challenges facing Traveller women:

“National Traveller MABS works with the Traveller Community, primarily social welfare recipients with a low capacity to deal with financial difficulties who may have limited access to legal saving and credit options. Our research into creditable alternatives explores new models of affordable saving and credit options in use worldwide which may be adapted by the Traveller Community in Ireland. Traveller women are among the most excluded members of Irish society, and this exclusion continues today. Through community education, Rotating Saving Credit Associations (ROSCAS),caravan loans and various community development measures, we are working with the Traveller community to overcome this financial exclusion and open up access to mainstream financial institutions ”, Ms. Power said. "

From Tasc's '2008 in Review' report:

http://www.tascnet.ie/showPage.php

Budget cuts targetted at travellers are a vicious response to the economic mess created by this government. Media propaganda that is little short of incitement to hatred can only drive a wedge of disaffection between different groups.

Is Prime Time helping to break down public sympathy:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1208/primetimeinvestigates.html

Comment on the programme above

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1209/primetime.html

by Pat Ohara. Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:26

Traveller men,in particular, don't seem to be too bothered about the filthy conditions THEIR OWN children grow up in I notice...I notice over and over again.

.

by BJ Tue Jan 06, 2009 14:20

Travellers have problems, for sure,
but their problems are chiefly of their own making. It's not enough for them to scream 'discrimination' at every opportunity. Nobody is buying that any more.
When travellers accept responsibility for themselves and for society, when the majority dissociate themselves from scams, tax-evasion, violence and all the rest, then maybe they will receive some sympathy from those of us who view such responsible behaviour as the norm.
Until then they are free to choose ignorance and filthy conditions for themselves and for their children and they are free to live off the people who pay taxes and behave responsibly.
If that's a culture to be proud of then I'm missing something.

by Caoimhe Tue Jan 06, 2009 15:55

This is the usual racist rubbish we here time and time again. Its getting really old and really boring,

Will either of the last two commentators like to back their silly assertions up with research figures? Or do they simply 'know' that 'the majority' of Traveller men are lazy and don't want to better themselves?

I personally have worked on halting sites and have had a very different experience than our previous two commentators.

Sure there are problems in the Travelling Community, there are problems in all communities which have faced extreme social exclusion over a very long and sustained period of time. Nobody denies that.

For anyone who is actually interested there is much research done into the Traveller economy, which no, is not the same thing as the Black economy and about how changing working patterns and the introduction of plastics and the impact they have had on traditional Traveller paid work. (Pavee Point have info on this)

The majority of Traveller men I know (and I'd bet a lot of money on it that I know a lot more Traveller men than either of our last two commentators) do in fact work and are involved in paid employment. this is despite the huge racism they face when applying for positions. this is all documented by the Equality Authority. It was one of the last things Niall Crowley commentated on before his resignation.

In relation to the state of the halting sites and the standard of accommodation. Just a few quick background facts. Firstly let us always remember that Travellers are nomadic people. This is the absolute core of their culture, not bare knuckled boxing as you would like to make out. To try to force Travellers into settled houses and not to allow them to exercise their right to be nomadic (yes 'right', it is enshrined in international bills), is the equiviant of asking a black person to bleach their skin white. Travellers travel, its pretty self explanatory.

Each Local Authority in the country is legally obliged to have a Traveller Accommodation Plan. The were brought in the late 1990s. They have to plan and actually do plans on how to provide adequate accommodation for every Traveller family within their locality for the past 3 years. Around the same time the govt brought in what is considered very racist legisation that prevents Travellers from parking on roadsides. what is the problems with this you might think, surely ppl shouldnt be parking on non designated land anyway? Its a good question, but unfortunatly, it was done in the context where there is nowhere near enough halting site spaces for every Traveller family in the country, there is an enormous short fall, hence making it impossible for a large number of families to not park on the side of the road, with no electricity, no running water and no refuse collection. Do you honestly think and belive that ppl choose to live like this over well servced halting sites? It should also be mentioned here that not one Local Autohrity in the country completed their Accommodation Plans, despite being legally required to. Not one of them faced legal consequences of this from the State. Yet plently of families have been forcefully evicted from the side of the road by Gardai. Imagine the effects of this on the children. The State has made it effectively illegal to be nomadic.

To get academic about is this is basicallty an assimilation versus intergration debate. Assimiliation has been proven over and over again to not only be racist, but also to simply not work. Its more than time we got over it.

The Local Authorities have responsibilities for the maintenance of the sites. In my experiince Dublin CIty Council have been extremely poor at doing this. (I cant speak about other counils, having only worked in Dublin). I have seen many with my own eyes people being expected to move into bays (spaces on halthing sites) which have rats running around them, no running water and no electricty. Ppl having to bring their children to the swimming pool just to have showers. Its disgusting. I have seen many Travellers living in these conditions, and I can tell you, there wasnt one of them happy to be rearing trheir chidlren in those conditions, and who werent fighting to get the livinnig conditions they deserve.

Can you imagine a situation were it was common place for the council to provide settled people with houses in that condition. "don't mind the rats love, their harmless, oh and you might want to think of investing in a few torches, oh and theres no electricity so get the kids a few more blankets for their beds, its freezing at night cos of the lack of heating, and to be honest, I'm not really sure what you should do about refrigeration or cooking or anything" there would be uproar. But when the councils do this to Traveller people, its the same old bullshit of blaming the Travellers.

About time Settled people faced up the depth of their own racism.

by Kate Tue Jan 06, 2009 22:07

Just around the issue of rubbish. In Cork the official halting sites refuse collection consists of a one skip per site collected weekly. One particular site has 10 official bays but because families have nowhere else to go there are in fact 18 families on that site, some doubled up in bays but most parked long term on the margins. The families range is size from 3 to 13 members. There is also a considerable problem with illegal dumping at the gate of the site. The skip fills up very rapidly. And provision in no way matchs demand. The net result is that site over the years has gradually degraded and now presents as a serious health hazard to the residents. In Cork due to poor estate management and a lack of clear lines of responsibility and accountability the official sites are in a terrible conditon. They are generally infested with rats and in one case it took one woman over a year to get the corporation out to fix a streetlight that needed changing outside her bay. The answer?? Proper Estate Managment with residents clear about who the caretaker is, what thier role is? A waste bin, recyling and compost bin for each family and a clear up of the sites. I honestly beleive it would be that simple.

It also needs to be remembered that there is a considerable amount of the settled population who all too happy to illegally dump where Travellers will be blamed. I know a woman who was travelling during the summer, she's very consious of the image she portrays of Traveller and is eternally a fantastic ambassador for her community. They left their camp in the West of Ireland, spick and span, brought all the rubbish with them only to hear a few hours later on the radio someone ring in and complain about the state they had left it. She felt it was more likely someone came after them and dumped than someone making it up for the radio. Its also documented to happen at fairs and festivals. You'll see old beds and dressers people dont want out on the road afterwards and bags of household waste. The dogs on the street know that these are left by locals

by Elisa O'D Tue Jan 06, 2009 22:28

Good post Caoimhe, looks likes there's attacks coming in on the travelling community from all sectors of society at the moment.

There was a particularly discriminatory Bus Eireann ban in my town over Christmas. Bus Eireann suspended all bus services through Rathkeale, Co.Limerick throughout the festive season. Rathkeale is a small rural town which has the highest percentage (~30%) of residents in an Irish town who identify themselves as travellers.
http://www.towns-ireland.com/highest-percentage-of-trav...eale/

Bus Eireann refused to stop in the vicinity of Rathkeale during the festive season when there is an influx of travellers returning back to the town. Many of the travelling community return to Rathkeale at Christmas as its their time for weddings,to visit family graves, socialise etc etc. As there is no other transportation system in West Limerick the residents of Rathkeale, were reduced to hitching lift's to the next bus stop (which is 5miles away) out on the busy and dangerous by-pass.

What the locals have to say:
People are not happy," said Seamus Hogan, who has a shop in the town and is a member of the community council. Mr Hogan believes it was the behaviour of young Travellers, many of them home for Christmas, which led to Bus Eireann's decision. "Why should people, like my partner and other regular users be discriminated against?," he demanded. And he is angry that the bus company has made no alternative arrangements for regular passengers. "First they abandon them and then they give them no lifeline," he said, pointing out that people wishing to use the bus now have to go to Newcastle West or Croagh. "It is not acceptable," he continued. He believes Bus Eireann should put a conductor on the buses and insist that no minor be allowed to travel unaccompanied.

What Bus Eireann have to say:
A statement released by Bus Eireann said that "anti-social behaviour by a number of people who are not regular passengers on the service" led to their decision. The Limerick Leader was unable to make contact with a spokesman in order to clarify what exactly had taken place on their buses to bring about this decision.

What the gardia have to say:
"We mount a specific operation each year and there are extra resources in terms of manpower brought into Rathkeale. The purpose of the operation is to ensure all the people of Rathkeale, settled and Traveller, have a peaceful Christmas," said Supt Roe.

Yet, statistically,It is has the lowest crime rates of all the towns in West Limerick?!

Relationships between travellers and the settled community in Rathkeale have always been harmonious and good. In the words of local Fine Gael TD Dan Neville, "Rathkeale is a unique town in the Irish context. Both communities live together with a high level of understanding of each other, friendship and a level of tolerance as there are two cultures in the area. In Rathkeale there are nothing like the difficulties that are experienced in other places where there are sizeable Traveller communities. One does not hear of flashpoints, riots or anything like those problems. Rathkeale is a peaceful town and the crime rate is low."

However, with an unusual and unnecessary gardai presence brought into Rathkeale this Christmas along with the withdrawal of Rathkeale's only transportation system being blamed unfairly on young travellers, The travelling community in Rathkeale for the first time is experiencing divisions and tensions that it never had before with locals.