Travellers to fight publicans’ move for law change

AN organisation which represents some of the country’s 25,000 Travellers said last night it would fight to prevent the Government changing Equality legislation.

Pavee Point assistant director Martin Collins said he was concerned that the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland would push to dilute or scrap the two-year-old Equality legislation when a delegation of publicans met with Equality and Law Reform Minister Willie O’Dea next Tuesday.

Mr Collins spoke after VFI officials, who represent 6000 of the country’s publicans, held an emergency meeting in Portlaoise yesterday.

The VFI said it was concerned about alleged Traveller intimidation of their members in Co Mayo which led to publicans in Westport refusing to serve members of the Traveller community.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the VFI claimed that problems with Travellers had been going on long before the Westport incidents and could not be allowed to continue.

The VFI was expected to call on Mr O’Dea to alter the equality legislation, which, it said, limited control publicans had in their own bars.

VFI chief executive Tadgh O’Sullivan said members supported fully the action of publicans in Westport.

“We’re not going to have a situation where members can be intimidated in their own homes. This isn’t unique to Westport, it’s been going on for years in pubs in Kerry, Cork and Limerick. In fact, name me a county and I’ll give you an example,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

He said the VFI’s national executive would meet on Wednesday to discuss the outcome of its talks with Minister O’Dea before deciding if further action was required.

Pavee Point said it would counter-lobby Minister O’Dea and Justice Minister Michael McDowell to ensure the equality legislation stayed.