Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

Health Survey FindingsThe public policy context has acknowledged the need for Traveller inclusion in the labour market, andhas specifically identified this need in respect of the public sector, highlighting a leadership role thatthe sector has to play in this regard. Positive action measures are consistent with Employment Equalityand Equal Status legislation, and Travellers are specifically mentioned as one of the groups for whompositive action can be undertaken. Key policy and national agreements also have a consistent emphasison lifelong learning in the workplace in particular for low skilled and low paid workers.Recognition of Traveller Cultural and Ethnic IdentityTravellers are officially recognised as a minority ethnic group in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain(UK Parliament Race Relations Order, 1997). Travellers are considered as a minority ethnic group bymany specialised and expert equality and anti racism organisations, by many academics, and by all ofthe main Traveller representative groups in Ireland, North and South (Equality Authority, 2006; HumanRights Commission, 2004; McDonagh, 2002). Whilst the Irish Government does not assign this specificstatus, Travellers are however recognised as having distinct grounds for protection under Ireland’santi-discrimination laws (Employment Equality Act, 1998 and the Equal Status Act, 2002). For example,the National Traveller Health Strategy (DOHC, 2002) recognises Travellers as ‘a distinct minority with theirown culture and beliefs and most importantly that they have a right to have their culture recognised in theplanning and the provision of services’.The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (United Nations Committeeon the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CERD, 2005) concluded:‘Recalling its General Recommendation VIII on the principle of self-identification, the Committee expressesconcern at the State party’s position with regard to the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group. TheCommittee is of the view that the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group has important implicationsunder the Convention (Articles 1 and 5)’.The Irish National Committee for the 1997 European Year Against Racism highlighted that ‘one of themore visible forms of racism is that experienced by the Traveller community, based on their distinct cultureand identity which is rooted in a tradition of nomadism’.The Task Force placed particular emphasis on this issue by devoting a chapter to discrimination andin the health chapter, they acknowledged that the context of constant discrimination that the lives ofTravellers are exposed to has a health impact and has relevance for health provision (Report of the TaskForce on the Travelling Community, 1995).Lifestyle and Health ChoicesIt is well recognised that there is a social gradient to health behaviour and this can in itself present aninequity if health promotion policies do not take this into account (Ridde et al., 2007; Kelleher, 2007;Lynch et al., 1997). Repeated health surveys illustrate that adverse lifestyle, including smoking, alcoholconsumption and unhealthy diet are strongly socially patterned (Kelleher et al., 2003; Morgan et al.,13