Brid Smith calls “shame” on Irish government after report reveals Traveller children’s infant mortality rates are 3.5 times those of the rest of the population

Brid Smith calls “shame” on Irish government after report reveals Traveller children’s infant mortality rates are 3.5 times those of the rest of the population

The Children’s Rights Alliance Annual Report for 2014 reveals that Traveller children’s infant mortality rates are three and a half times those of the rest of the population. The report reveals how this government continues to fail dismally to deliver on its own commitments for Traveller children in the programme for government and has yet to recognise Travellers as a distinct ethnic group.

Brid Smith, People Before Profit councilor for Ballyfermot and Dublin candidate in the European Election said: “The government’s failure to recognise Travellers as a distinct ethnic group is imperative if Dublin City Council  are to commit to developing and delivering a Traveller Accommodation Programme (TAP) for 2014-2018 which is reflective of the identified needs of the community. This is why I am putting a motion before Dublin City Council next week calling for the Council to recognize Traveller Ethnicity.”

Commenting further Cllr. Smith said: “The Children’s Rights Alliance shows that  ‘many Traveller children live in conditions that are far below the minimum required for healthy child development and this is reflected in their health outcomes’.  In Dublin City Council’s administrative area there are 675 Traveller families. 120 of these families currently have no permanent accommodation. In Dublin City Council’s last TAP 2009-2013 there was a commitment to provide 118 new units of accommodation. However, only 1 unit of accommodation was delivered and this was during a time when there was significant funding available and DCC did not draw down in excess of €12 million.

“In my constituency alone there are 24 Traveller families including 67 children awaiting permanent accommodation with many waiting for over a decade.  Of these 8 families including 20 children some with special needs live without the most basic of services such as water, sanitation and electricity.  These conditions have detrimental impacts on the lives of families and children particularly in terms of health, this is a very serious issue and one which cannot continue.”