Irish Examiner view: Treatment of Travellers casts ‘dark shadow’ over our democracy

Report highlights the 'us' versus 'them' approach nationally

As long as Travellers and their way of life is seen as a problem by the authorities, their living conditions are unlikely to improve. Picture: Larry Cummins

The report by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) into conditions at a Traveller halting site in Cork is a shocking indictment of the city council’s management of facilities there.

The OCO’s statutory investigation describes “failure after failure” by the council to improve living conditions at the site in the Blackpool area of the city.