All Ireland Traveller Health Study Our Geels - Department of Health ...

Health Survey Findings
Table 41: Access to site. For those living on sites or in group housing only - are there barriers
on the entrance to the site? (Questionnaire item A_15)
ROI
NI
Yes No n Yes No n
Total 46.7% 53.3% 1594 25.9% 74.1% 482
Table 42: Access to site. For those with barriers only - do you or someone on site have access
to keys 24 hours a day for emergencies? (Questionnaire item A_15a)
ROI
NI
Yes No n Yes No n
Total 27.0% 73.0% 723 71.0% 29.0% 124
Rats were a problem for 33.1% of ROI and 26.8% of NI families, whilst proximity to a main road was
a problem for 47.5% of ROI and 28.9% of NI families. A quarter of families (24.4% ROI and 24.8% NI)
considered where they lived to be unhealthy or very unhealthy and appreciable numbers (26.4% ROI
and 29.0% NI) considered their place of residence unsafe.
Table 43: Physical hazards in the accommodation area. Are any of the following a problem
where you live? (Percentages represent all respondents who endorsed the option as a
problem.) (Questionnaire item A_16_1)
ROI
n=6,927
NI
n=1,396
Total Rubbish dump 11.3% 7.6%
Rats 33.1% 26.8%
River 13.6% 9.5%
Overhead cables 19.9% 18.3%
Lodged water 21.3% 6.0%
Main road 47.5% 28.9%
Again, Traveller experience of safety and healthiness of their homes was analysed by accommodation
type. Those respondents in ‘site’ type accommodation rated their living conditions as either healthy or
unhealthy in 58.6% of cases in ROI and 45.6% in NI, compared with just 15.6% of ROI and 14.5% of NI
Travellers in ‘housed’ accommodation. There was a similar response to a question relating to safety of
the home, and Travellers in ‘site’ accommodation reported substantially more living area hazards than
did ‘housed’ respondents.
83