Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

All Ireland Traveller Health StudyTravellers Health: A National Strategy 2002 - 2005This strategy is very significant in that it represents a change in national policy towards Travellers. Itfirstly recognises Travellers as a distinct minority group in Irish society with a health status far below thegeneral population and having specific health needs.‘Travellers are particularly disadvantaged in terms of health status and access to health services. Generallyspeaking, they suffer poor health on a level which compares so unfavourably with the settled community thatit would probably be unacceptable to any section thereof’ (Department of Health and Children, 2002).The strategy contains 122 actions that were to be implemented over a 4-year period, from 2002 to2005. To date, some of the key recommendations that have been implemented are the establishmentof the national and regional Traveller Health Structures, which have facilitated the development ofTraveller Health initiatives at local level. It recognises the role that primary healthcare projects have hadin addressing Traveller health issues and it recommends their replication throughout the country.‘Primary healthcare for Traveller Projects will be developed in conjunction with Traveller organisations inall Health Board areas where there is a significant Traveller population by the end of 2005’ (Department ofHealth and Children, 2002).Since 2002, 40 PHCTPs have been established around the country and they have trained more than 300Traveller women as TCHWs.National Drugs Strategy (NDS) (interim) 2009-2016The National Drugs Strategy acknowledges the concerns over the growing problem drug use. Datais not available to indicate the number of Travellers who present for treatment as heretofore Travellershave not been recorded as a distinct group under the National Drug Treatment Service (NDTRS)(Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, 2009).However, in research commissioned by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD), Fountain(2006) found that the prevalence pattern broadly mirrors that of the general population, with cannabis,sedatives and tranquillisers most commonly used, followed by cocaine, ecstasy and lastly, heroin.The issues experienced by Travellers in relation to drugs are entwined with issues of inequality andmarginalisation. This means that Travellers are more likely to be exposed to the risk factors that lead toproblem drug use. It also implies that response mechanisms to address the associated problems needto factor in these issues. There are heightened concerns within the Traveller community about thegrowth in problem drug use. This is also acknowledged by the HSE as a key and growing concern. TheNDS also acknowledged that Travellers face specific problems that stem from a ‘lack of awareness of theexistence and nature of drug services, lack of formal education, stigma and embarrassment, and lack ofculturally appropriate provision’ (Fountain, 2006).20