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

All Ireland Traveller Health Study
Social Capital and Social Support
General Summary
ROI respondents gave a broad range of responses to the statement that generally speaking, most
people can be trusted: a quarter strongly disagreed (25.8%) and a tenth strongly agreed (10.2%). There
were no notable differences by sex and the oldest age group was somewhat more in agreement than
others with the statement. In NI the most frequent category (42.6%) was the neutral one of neither
agreeing nor disagreeing, and younger people were more likely to agree than older respondents.
The number one grouping, providing respondents with a lot of support in ROI, were parents (53.3%),
followed by spouse or partner (50.4%), with support from other sources lower. In NI, parents also
ranked first (46.1%). However spouse or partner ranked fourth (27.0%) after other sources such as other
relatives, children and friends. Partner was not applicable in respondent’s situation for 61.0% in NI
compared with 29.6% in ROI.
There was a broad range of responses to the question of whether respondents ever felt discriminated
against or made to feel inferior as a member of the Traveller community. The situations most frequently
cited as never occasioning such discrimination were on a sports team (64.9% in ROI, 58.1% NI),
followed equally by obtaining insurance or a loan (60.7%) or in accessing health services (60.4%) in ROI
and at work (47.2%) or accessing health services (46.0%) in NI. Nonetheless, appreciable numbers of
respondents cited frequent episodes of discrimination in all settings, the worst ranked setting being
served in a shop or pub, with for instance 35.1% indicating this occurred at least 4 or more times in ROI.
There were some sex differences, so that 70.4% in ROI and 60.3% in NI of women indicated they were
never discriminated against in a sports team, falling in men to 57.9% in ROI and 55.7% in NI. Younger
respondents reported more frequency of discrimination than older people.
In the past year, 47.1% in ROI and 25.2% in NI indicated that they never worried about experiencing
unfair treatment; the remainder were worried some or most of the time. There was no consistent age
pattern.
Commentary
To assess feelings of trust in individuals in the Traveller and other groups, participants were asked if
they agreed with the statement, ‘Generally speaking, most people can be trusted’. It is clear that in
comparison with the SLAN 2002 medical card holders, the Traveller groups felt much less trustful (Table
259), with over a quarter of the ROI Travellers strongly disagreeing with this statement.
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