Crisis for homeless Travellers going unreported causing serious concerns for mental health

Traveller homelessness is a hidden crisis which is not reflected accurately in official State figures, and which is causing serious health concerns — including suicide, research has found.

A soon-to-be published report, Traveller Homelessness: Qualitative Research in County Offaly, finds that homelessness among Travellers is significantly underestimated and is heightened by “widespread discrimination and institutional racism.”

Research consultant Niamh Murphy, who carried out the study, said within county Offaly, 19.1% of homeless presentations to the council are Travellers, yet they account for only 1.3% of the population overall.