Discrimination against members of the travelling community in this society was so ingrained and pervasive for decades that the issue hardly raised an eyebrow. Serious efforts were made by some well-meaning individuals and organisations to confront the situation but they were swimming against a tide of prejudice. Improvement in living standards for the bulk of the community appeared to have the effect of increasing, rather than reducing, the level of antipathy felt towards travellers. But the influx of a large number of refugees has reopened debate on the broader issues and raised public awareness of a range of discriminations against travellers.
Now the first large scale survey of the attitudes of travellers has found they experience discrimination most frequently (71 per cent) through being refused service in public houses. Between 30 and 40 per cent of those surveyed also identified discrimination in relation to their contacts with discos and clubs, the Garda Siochana, shop owners, county councils and housing authorities. In spite of these experiences, 71 per cent were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their lives, though this figure fell to 59 per cent amongst travellers living in temporary or roadside parking sites. Some 87 per cent of those surveyed wanted to see more pull-on, pull-off sites for travellers while 81 per cent hoped for better relations with the settled community. Assimilation by the settled community is not an option for many. While 38 per cent regard having a house in a settled community as the ideal place to live, some 43 per cent do not think they could be happy living in those circumstances.
Three years ago, the Traveller Accommodation Act of 1998 placed an obligation on local authorities and their elected representatives to respond to the housing needs of the travelling community and to adopt specific accommodation programmes. The outcome has been disappointing, to put it mildly. Local prejudice and pressure from the settled community in many areas contributed to long and unacceptable delays in the drafting of schemes and the identification of temporary and permanent halting sites. Accommodation plans were not adopted by a majority of councils until last year and difficulties encountered in putting those plans into effect have exacerbated the situation. In the two years following passage of the Act, only 68 additional families were housed by local authorities. At the same time, the number of families living on the roadside grew from 1,148 to 1,203. The blunt fact is that councils are in breach of their statutory duties.
This week, a Citizen Traveller campaign has been launched in an attempt to encourage a better understanding between travellers and settled people through public education and awareness programmes. Ignorance and cultural difference frequently fuel social tensions. Because of that, the current campaign is a welcome initiative.