Travelling community can’t have it both ways

Although they cherish what makes them distinctive Travellers are not an ethnic minority, yet they seek acceptance of wider society without wanting integration, says Margaret Hickey

THE appalling tragedy in which five adults and five children lost their lives in a fireball on a Traveller halting site in Carrickmines has drawn appropriate expressions of horror and sympathy from politicians and rights’ groups.

Sympathy, backed up with concrete support and assistance is of course the appropriate immediate response but follow up action must go further. It should look critically at the permanently disadvantaged status of travellers which raises the risk of accidents of all kinds despite many initiatives and much expenditure of public money over several decades.