Travellers in €2m housing row hit back

TRAVELLER leaders yesterday hit back at the strong condemnation by Minister of State Tim O’Malley of Traveller families in Limerick who have boycotted a new accommodation centre as it does not have stabling for horses.

The €2 million centre at Castletroy has been lying vacant for the past four months due to a stand-off between seven families and Limerick County Council over the lack of stables.

The facility contains hard stands for seven mobile homes or caravans with adjacent buildings with living room, kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Mr O’Malley accused the Traveller families of “selfish, grasping and inconsiderate behaviour”. He said Limerick County Council must hold the line in its refusal to build stables on the site. Many families are waiting for council houses in the country and stables were a matter for the Travellers themselves.

Mr O’Malley said: “Limerick County Council should remain firm in the face of what are completely unreasonable and extortionate demands being made by the Travellers.”

Martin Collins, assistant director of Pavee Point said: “Mr O’Malley is using very strong language and it is incumbent on him to tone down his remarks.”

He said politicians should be looking for solutions to the impasse and not adding to the problems.

Mr Collins said: “Tim O’Malley, as a public representative, should be a little more responsible and I would encourage him and others to work towards a solution to this problem. The kind of intemperate language used is not helpful.”

Bridgie Casey, the Limerick Travellers’ Development group accommodation officer said the Travellers involved were being denied their culture and not having their rights respected.

She said: “We feel that even though consideration was given to the immediate accommodation for travellers, little thought was given to the fact that travellers are an ethnic minority group with a history and culture of their own.

“The tradition of keeping horses is ingrained in the travellers way of life with the men taking pride in their horses as well as being part of their economy. And to take this away from them would be detrimental and have a very negative affect on the well-being of this already vulnerably group in Irish society.”