Munster Travellers more likely to be affected by suicide

Travellers in Munster are more likely to be affected by suicide, experience isolation and mental health difficulties, and be out of work compared to the national average.

The findings were revealed in regionalised data taken from the B&A National Traveller Community Survey, with detailed Munster results presented in Cork yesterday. It showed that while there were broad similarities in responses from those in Munster compared with overall national findings, some issues were more acute among Travellers living in the province.

It found some troubling variations when compared with the national figures. For example, while three out of 10 people polled nationally said they were disappointed in life in general, among the Munster cohort this was closer to 40%. Nationally, 60% of those polled were not currently working, but in Munster the figure was 76%.