Considerable challenges remain for Travellers seeking to access accommodation services from local authorities
As the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission today celebrate their ten year anniversary, the Commission has published accounts of seven local authority Equality Action Plans that address issues arising in the provision of Traveller accommodation and services. The accounts of the Equality Action Plans were published alongside the Commission’s Annual Report, amid a warning from the Commission that considerable challenges remain for Travellers seeking to access accommodation services from their local authorities. These seven local authorities, South Dublin (SDCC), Limerick City and County (LCC), Tipperary (TCC), Donegal (DCC), Mayo (MCC), Cork City (CCC) and Wicklow (WCC), now have prepared specific practical plans, together with follow-up recommendations from the Commission, to take action and improve provision of Traveller accommodation and services. The accounts published today show how intransient the barriers are for Travellers seeking to access accommodation services from their local authorities. Some of these barriers include: evidence of poor consultation processes and lack of meaningful engagement with Travellers and Traveller representative groups across some of the local authorities; ongoing issues with accessibility of services including homeless services; misunderstanding of and poor communication on the ethnic self-identifier in social housing application forms in use by local authorities; lack of accessibility and suitability of the Caravan Loan Scheme; and overall shortcomings and blockages in the delivery of Traveller-specific accommodation. Overall, with the exception of two of the plans, the Commission identified shortcomings in the implementation and oversight mechanisms included in the plans. Funding of the plans was not addressed in several of the plans. Some of the plans included a continuation of existing actions rather than including new actions responding to issues raised in the Equality Reviews and as identified in consultation with stakeholders. The inconsistent methods of collating and using data and providing financial information on Traveller accommodation is also evident in the accounts of the plans. There were also mixed responses on the provision of transient sites to Travellers. There were some positives. Some of the plans made positive commitments to support events celebrating Traveller culture and promoting inclusive communities. One plan clearly evidenced pro-active consultation with relevant stakeholders in its preparation of the plan and presented the plan in a manner which clearly responded to the feedback by identifying the issue and setting out a related action. The same plan identified a specific staff member with responsibility for overseeing implementation of the plan. Some plans responded positively to the practical implications of Traveller culture. One included animal welfare projects in response to feedback from the Traveller community; two plans referenced equine projects, although there was no clear detail on the funding and timelines for same. One local authority made a welcome commitment to take out discriminatory wording, known as ‘indigenous requirement’ wording, from its forthcoming Traveller Accommodation Programme. Another local authority committed to identifying inclusive methodologies in its census of the Traveller population, and proposed innovative peer to peer training to improve the accuracy of data collected. The Commission recommended that local authorities provide for clear pathways for the use of such data, so it can inform policy and funding decisions and have a positive impact on the supply and delivery of Traveller-specific accommodation. Commission member Lucy Michael said,
“While the engagement by local authorities with the process was very welcome, it is evident that there continue to be considerable challenges for Travellers seeking to access accommodation services from local authorities. These challenges are directly linked to a continuing widespread failure across local authorities to provide culturally appropriate accommodation in a timely manner and to respond positively to Traveller culture and needs. The Commission invites local authorities to take into account the recommendations included in the accounts when implementing the Equality Action Plans.”
ENDS/ For further information, please contact: Sarah Clarkin IHREC Communications Manager, 01 8592641 / 087 4687760 sarah.clarkin@ihrec.ie Follow us on twitter @_IHREC Notes to editor or Link to Annual Report: Annual Report 2023 You can access the Equality Action Plans through these links: An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Cork City Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Donegal County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Limerick City and County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Mayo County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by South Dublin County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Tipperary County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation An Account of the Equality Action Plan prepared by Wicklow County Council in respect of Traveller specific accommodation
History of the process
The publication of these Equality Action Plans marks the end of a five year process of engaging with local authorities on Traveller accommodation. In 2019, the Commission invited each of the 31 local authorities in the State to undertake an Equality Review of their provision of Traveller accommodation. This review was prompted by the repeated failures nationally to draw down ring-fenced capital budgets in order to meet human rights obligations on Traveller-specific accommodation. The local authorities were asked to conduct a review of the practices, procedures and other relevant factors in relation to these failures, to examine what the barriers are to the drawdown of State funds, and to assess how they can be removed. The resulting data and analysis added a local dimension covering the whole country to contribute to what we knew was an issue at national level. Following on from this, the seven local authorities were asked to undertake Equality Action Plans, to identify specific actions that ensure the effective implementation of the findings in the Equality Review. Selection of the local authorities was informed by the responses of local authorities to the Equality Reviews, and a geographical spread that reflects a national reach. The Commission’s Equality Action Plan work has been undertaken in the context of our research, legal cases and engagement with the Traveller Community which all seeks to combat the longstanding racism and discrimination faced by Travellers in housing, with serious knock on effects for life outcomes, including health, work, and education.
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is an independent public body, appointed by the President and directly accountable to the Oireachtas. The Commission has a statutory remit set out under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act (2014) to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland, and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is Ireland’s national human rights institution and is recognised as such by the United Nations. The Commission is also Ireland’s national equality body for the purpose of a range of EU anti-discrimination measures.