'Pressing need' for Dungarvan Traveller project, report finds

City-based Mincéirí Port Láirge says it needs funding for an outreach team to serve Dungarvan

Karen Reilly, who works as a community development worker, says Mincéiri Port Láirge receives no funding for its work in Dungarvan.

Research for Waterford’s Traveller community has outlined a serious need for an outreach team for Dungarvan, but applications have been rejected three times by Government departments due to a lack of funding.

The report has found “significant gaps” in supports for Travellers in the Dungarvan area, and is seeking the funding of a number of health and family resource roles to address this.

Karen Reilly, a community development worker with Mincéiri Port Láirge, said the group has been responding to requests for support from Travellers in Dungarvan, but receives no funding for the work.

She said the current city project claims it is overstretched as they are only funded to work part-time hours.

“We actually don’t work there except for the health project part of our work,” she said:  

We just get funded for our work in the city, so requests from Dungarvan we’re getting can be for help around school or housing. 

Applications for a Dungarvan project have been rejected twice by the Department of Justice and, later, the Department of Equality, which has taken on responsibility for the area.

The Waterford group said it was told that lack of funds was the issue each time.

The research also calls for “urgent progression” on the redevelopment of sites in Dungarvan and Waterford in order to address “rat infestations” at the sites.

On education, the report found that some Traveller families “spoke highly” about the schools in their area, while others struggled as the schools primarily communicated through email and post, which were not accessible to those with low literacy levels.

The findings are part of a needs analysis carried out by the county’s Traveller outreach project which has relaunched as Mincéirí Port Láirge. It was formerly known as Waterford Traveller Community Development Project.

As part of the group’s relaunch, it has moved into new premises at Railway Square in Waterford. 

It noted that, as of late 2021, there is a lack of a Traveller community development project or worker for Dungarvan, along with family resource services, or a health worker working specifically with Traveller men.

A broader health project goes some way to meeting health needs in the area, but this project is also “under-resourced”, the report said.

Mincéiri Port Láirge co-ordinator Úna Ryan said there is a real need for a community development project run by local Travellers in Dungarvan.

“We’ve had three applications refused and have been told that funds were not available,” she said.  “We have multi-agency support for that in Dungarvan who can see the need, along with the local community in Dungarvan.”

She estimated that €50,000 is needed for the project. The Department of Equality did not respond when contacted.