New report finds Traveller community the most disadvantaged community
A report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has found the Traveller community is ‘by far’ the most disadvantaged minority group in Ireland. It found that the community experience higher levels of discrimination and are left behind when it comes to education, employment and health. It found that…
Government Committee on issues facing Travellers to meet today
A government committee on key issues facing the traveller community is meeting for the first time today. The committee’s aim is to discuss issues such as health, education, employment and housing for those in the Traveller community. Jamie Murphy is the spokesperson with Sligo Traveller Support Group. While welcoming the…
Poor mental health & suicide issues higher in Traveller Community
Suicide and poor mental health is having and disproportionate impact on the Traveller community with suicide rates at least 7 times higher for Traveller men and 6 times higher for Traveller women when compared to the rest of the population. Those are the views of a local representative of…
North West bucks the national trend of an increasing Traveller population
The number of Travellers in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim is falling. The latest figures from Census 2016 show 586 Irish Travellers lived in County Donegal in April 2016, a fall of more than 19% since 2011. There were 383 Travellers living in Sligo, a decline of more than 7% in…
Taoiseach’s announcement on Traveller recognition welcomed by Sligo group
The Sligo Traveller Support Group is welcoming today’s announcement by the Taoiseach to recognise Travellers as an ethnic group for the first time. It follows a lengthy campaign which has been ongoing for decades to recognise this minority group officially. Several human rights groups have also supported these calls including…