The Government yesterday defended its decision not to recognise Travellers as an ethnic minority before the Geneva-based UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
Minister of State at the Department of Justice Frank Fahey said the Government had defined membership of the Traveller community as a separate ground on which it was unlawful to discriminate under equality legislation in Ireland.
However, he said, Traveller organisations had argued since the mid-1980s that Travellers were ethnically different from the majority of Irish people, but that had not been proven.
The question was one of a number posed by the UN committee regarding the Government's implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Mr Fahey said that, overall, the committee had praised the Government for its work against racial discrimination over the past six years.
He said that the establishment of independent equality bodies had been singled out for mention.
Members of the committee said the Government could become a model for other European countries which had experienced a rapid change from emigration to immigration within a short period of time, according to Mr Fahey.
Ireland was also one of the few countries to deliver on its commitment, given at a world conference against racism in 2001, to produce a national anti-racism action plan, Mr Fahey said.
However, in a separate submission to the committee, an alliance of non-governmental organisations accused the Government of discriminating against the migrant parents of Irish-born children by refusing to allow their family members to join them in Ireland.
The NGO Alliance, which represents 40 such groups, said the practice was violating the rights of children.
Ms Denise Charlton, a member of the alliance, said these Irish citizens were not being treated equally before the law because the State was failing to respect their right to family life.
"Like all Irish children, they should enjoy the right to grow up in the company of their parents, brothers and sisters as well as other family members. The Government is currently denying them this right, in violation of the Irish Constitution and international conventions," Ms Charlton said.
The Irish Human Rights Commission made an oral presentation to the committee and underlined the need for urgent action and leadership in raising awareness of the convention.
This should include a major campaign of anti-racism training in schools and throughout the public service, especially for those whose interaction with members of ethnic minorities could be sensitive and stressful, such as the Garda, immigration officers and social welfare officials.
