Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

All Ireland Traveller Health StudyTraveller Stakeholder Group: Northern IrelandA Northern Ireland (NI) Traveller Stakeholder Group was established. This group comprised of MsHeather Robinson and latterly Mr David Reilly (DHSSPS); Dr Elizabeth Mitchell (DHSSPS), Mr KieronMoore (DHSSPS), Ms Mary Scarlett (DHSSPS), Ms Angela McLernon (DHSSPS), Mr Derek Hanway (AnMunia Tobar), Ms Dolores Atkinson (Study Project Development worker), Ms Mary Duggan (NHSCT), MsLisa Moore (Craigavon Traveller Support Centre), Ms Lynne Curran (DSSSPS), Ms Roberta Weir (DHSSPS)and Dr Jill Turner (UCD).The purpose of the stakeholder group was to facilitate approaches for information, support and accessas necessary to action NI parts of the study. Heather Robinson was appointed as the chair of the groupand she advised that the stakeholder group being convened by the DHSSPS would be time-limitedto the lifetime of the survey. The stakeholder group met monthly and explored some of the followingissues: funding mechanisms for Peer Researchers, proofing the questionnaire for use in NI, mapping andscoping, support in relation to Traveller families, general practitioner (GP) and health visitors (HV).Groups and Networks – Republic of IrelandGroups and Networks were established by the HSE and the Traveller networks in the Republic of Irelandto support communication and study information dissemination during the study.Traveller Liaison Committee – Health Service ExecutiveThis committee was established in 2008 to give UCD direct access to the HSE staff around the country.The membership involved the Regional Social Inclusion Specialists and the THU coordinators alongwith the Chair of the Director of the Public Health Nurses group and other key HSE staff as appropriate(see Table 1). The role of this committee was to advise on the smooth running of the interface betweenthe UCD study group and the HSE staff. Figure 5 describes the HSE structure established for the AITHSstudy. The Director and Assistant Director of the study team and other team members as appropriatewere invited to attend the meetings of this committee to communicate, inform, brief and update onthe study.30