Travellers ‘must respect rights’

Travellers who abuse the rights given to them by the State must be “confronted head on”, according to the Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, who is the first member of the Dáil from a Traveller background.

The Donegal TD is to bring a bill before the Oireachtas which, if accep-ted by the Government, will recognise Travellers as a distinct ethnic culture and oblige the State to establish their rights associated with their traditions and customs.

However, he said the Traveller community must take more responsibility with the rights it is given if the “wall” between it and the settled community is to be broken down,