Campaign to debunk myths about Travellers

LIFE is hard enough for many of the country's 24,000 Travellers without the added insults, a Traveller support group has warned.

Travellers are blamed for crimes they do not commit, accused of not wanting to be 'normal', or branded as being excessively violent.

Offensive labels put on Irish Travellers must be exposed for the myths they are, says Pavee Point, a partnership of Irish Travellers and settled people. A brochure, Irish Travellers - Challenging the Myths, was launched yesterday as part of Traveller Focus Week to set the record straight.

The leaflet, launched by former South African ambassador Melanie Verwoerd, aims to challenge a belief that Travellers are to blame for their own situation.

Philip Watt, director of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, said: "This misinformation can demonise a vulnerable community and this is the case for Travellers."

A key message is that the whole of society, including Travellers, have responsibility to improve the living circumstances of Travellers.

At 0.5% of the population, Travellers are a small indigenous minority, documented as being part of Irish society for centuries.

They have a long shared history and value system which make them a distinct group. They have their own language, customs and traditions.

Only 3.3% of Travellers survive beyond 65 years, compared with 11.1% of the general population.

Labelling them as a group of criminals or people who choose to live in dirty conditions without respect for anyone else promotes racism and discrimination, the group says.

These offensive labels also prevent Travellers achieving equality in accommodation, education, health and the provision of services.

To blame Travellers for crime without proof is offensive and contributes to social exclusion, the leaflet points out.

There is no evidence that violence of any type is more prevalent among one ethnic group than another.

Against the odds, Travellers are beating the main barrier of discrimination on the jobs front. The leaflet says an increasing number are working as commercial drivers, community workers and as workers in service industries. Others are successfully self-employed.

Pavee Point also point out that most people persist in using the term 'knacker' knowing it is highly offensive to Travellers. 'Itinerant' is also an offensive term and continues to be used as a pseudo-scientific word.