Madam, - As a "non-Traveller" community worker in a Traveller organisation which "draws down State funding", I reject the insinuation in Patrick Nevin's letter of March 2nd that I am working in a way which seeks to "control" or "muffle the voice of" Travellers.
The community work sector has fought hard over the past 20 years to challenge racism both at an individual and institutional level and I feel that, as a settled person involved in community development work, I have a responsibility to acknowledge the racism perpetuated by my own community and to fight in solidarity with Travellers for equality and social change.
The Traveller and "non-Traveller" staff of Tallaght Travellers Community development project are very clear that we are working for social change with Travellers and not for Travellers. Solidarity is a key principle of our work.
Agencies that receive Government funding to work with Travellers are not only seeking to create Traveller leaders but are using community development practices and processes to tackle all the manifestations of social exclusion which prevent many Travellers taking leadership roles within their own community. - Yours, etc,
JENNIFER LLOYD-HUGHES, Tallaght Travellers Community Development Project, Killinarden Enterprise Park, Dublin 24.
Madam, - Vincent Browne cites the use of the nickname "Frog" as evidence of social contempt for travellers (Opinion, February 28th). He had earlier made this nonsensical claim on his RTÉ radio show of February 6th. In fact, John "Frog" Ward is the legal description of the deceased.
At the inquest into his death, Mr Ward was described in legal statements as John "Frog" Ward - for example by his brother Martin, thus: "On October 15th I identified the body of my brother John 'Frog' Ward, date of birth 8/7 1962, of Carrowbrowne Halting Site, Galway, originally from Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, to Sgt Eamon Breslin at Mayo General Hospital." - Yours, etc,
ULTAN Ó BROIN, South Circular Road, Dublin 8.