ITM presented to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community and the Joint Housing Committee on the 12th of October.
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Watch Back
ITM Presents to Joint Housing Committee & Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community
The Minister of Sta te with responsibility for Traveller accommodation, Peter Burke and the City and County Management Association also presented and took questions.
Transcript available here
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The next Accommodation Working Group meeting will take place on the 25th of November at 2pm. We would love to have you there! Email accommodation@itmtrav.ie for more information.
The new Caravan Loan Scheme pilot is underway in four local authority areas. ITM convenes a consultative subgroup of the local Traveller organisations in the pilot areas and sits on the project group for the pilot scheme.
Please see AWG update for more information.
The Expert Review Programme Board met on the 27th of October.
- The Traveller identifier question will be introduced on the social housing needs assessment from next month, this will be useful for collecting accurate data on Traveller accommodation need.
- The national Traveller representatives are advocating for subgroups for each of the recommendations to facilitate more consultation, as well as timelines for completion of each of the projects.
- Timelines & traffic light system of reporting of the progress in implementation will be in place by end of this year. All progress reports will be published on DHLGH's website.
- We continue to highlight our concerns about the rate of progress across all platforms.
ITM recently worked with the Accommodation Working Group to make a submission to the Traveller Accommodation Support Unit on the Traveller Accommodation Programme midterm review process.
Traveller Accommodation in the Media
Last year ITM met with journal.ie to advocate for good quality investigative and news reporting on issues affecting Travellers. Since then they have completed an excellent series of Noteworthy articles on issues affecting Traveller children.
ITM and several local Traveller organisations including Cork Traveller Women's Network and Ballyfermot Traveller Action Project contributed to the articles on accommodation:
Noteworthy on Traveller accommodation and impact on Traveller children: 'An ongoing risk': Hep A outbreak at council site left five Traveller children hospitalised (noteworthy.ie)
Noteworthy on Traveller accommodation funding issues: Funding red tape has led to low output of Traveller-specific accommodation (thejournal.ie)
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Education Working Group
The Education Working Group continues to meet regularly online to discuss issues regarding Travellers in all levels of education, and identifying actions
Recent discussions have focused on reduced timetables, early years education, policy developments, challenges around resources, and educational inequality generally
The next meeting will be on 7th December at 11am
Any members who wish to join this space email membership@itmtrav.ie
Noteworthy series
We worked with Noteworthy on their TOUGH START investigation which examined issues facing Traveller children in relation to health, edcuation, housing and the justice system. It included this article on reduced timetables:
Home by 10am: 'Misuse' of reduced school days leaving a generation of Traveller children 'lost'
New Guidelines on Reduced Timetables
Long called for new guidelines on the use of reduced school days were published on 16th September and will come into effect on January 2022.
These guidelines are far more robust than previous versions and outlines a very clear process which must occur in the exceptional circumstances that a child is placed on reduced hours, including:
- clear evidence-based reasons for considering a reduced school day
- a detailed action plan for for the student which specifies start, review and end dates and a plan for supports and re-integration
- should not exceed six school weeks and cannot be carried forward from one academic year to the next.
- Mandatory notification to TESS and parental consent
ITM is continuing our advocacy and campaigning work with the EWG to raise the ongoing concerns of reduced timetables, and the resources and supports urgently needed for Traveller children who have been so far affected by this long standing practice.
You can read the guidelines fully HERE
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College Awareness Week 2021
College Awareness Week 2021 runs from 22nd - 28th November. Keep an eye on our social media to follow the campaign and content.
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ITM made a submission to the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science regrading the Committee’s examination of Leaving Certificate Reform. You can read it HERE
Education Policy Updates
- Work on the review of the NCCA Intercultural Guidelines is due to commence in 2022.
- The Department of Education commissioned report on research on bullying experiences amongst Traveller and Roma Children, is currently being finalised and is due to be published soon.
- The NTRIS baseline report, Out of the Shadows: Traveller and Roma Education – Voices from the Communities, is still awaiting publication
- A review of the Traveller Education Strategy 2006 report recommendations, as part of NTRIS actions is also due for publication soon
- An independent evaluation of the 2 Year NTRIS Education Pilot Programme (located in 4 areas- Cork, Galway, Wexford and North Dublin) to target attendance, participation and retention in education, targeting Traveller and Roma communities, is due to take place in 2022.
- The Programme for Government includes a commitment for a cross-departmental Traveller Edcuation Strategy, however no timeline has been provided
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National Action Plan Against Racism
The Anti-Racism Committee consulted widely with stakeholder organisations and members of the public between May and July this year (approximately 170 organisations and people in total) on themes including access to justice, media and new technologies, employment, education, health, accommodation, inclusion and participation. Cross-thematic sessions to consider how racism affects women and how racism affects children and young people were also held.
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A public tender document is now active for the review on National Traveller Roma Inclusion Strategy, Women and Girl’s Strategy, and Migrant Integration Strategy. You can view the tender HERE
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Traveller Youth Participation and Leadership Strategy 2021-25
The Traveller Youth Participation and Leadership Strategy was officially launched on 27th October by Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman. This first national strategy for young Travellers aims to encourage their participation in decision-making structures affecting them and their futures.
In the online event, we heard from young Traveller role models including Leeanna Ward, Michael Collins, and Sally Flynn about their views on the importance of young Traveller participation, leadership and inclusion.
You can read the Strategy yourself HERE
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Welcome Karen!
We are delighted to welcome Karen Power from County Meath to the ITM team as our new Youth Development Worker. Karen comes with experience from Involve clg as both a Youth Worker and former Status toolkit project worker and has recently received her level 8 Honours qualification & NSETS endorsement in Youth Work from DKIT. Karen will be working to support the roll out of our new Strategy, develop and progress relationships, and enhance youth participation in the and we're thrilled to have her on board. Feel free to contact Karen at karen@itmtrav.ie
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Traveller Pride Week 2021
For Traveller Pride Week 2021, we were delighted to feature on the website of the National Anti-Bullying Centre. It was a great opportunity to showcase the work that the Yellow Flag Programme does in supporting schools to build interculturalism into the classroom, and more specifically, Traveller culture and history. We shared resources and practical tips on how to celebrate the identity of Traveller students in school. You can visit the landing page here.
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Meeting with Minister O’Gorman
On October 18th, ITM and the Yellow Flag Programme met with Minister O’Gorman and two Department colleagues to discuss resourcing to scale the Yellow Flag Programme. It was a very positive and productive meeting, with lots of follow-up as a result. This comes at the end of a busy September and October period, with significant engagement from TDs and Senators around the need for anti-racism education, and the position of the Yellow Flag as an implementing partner.
Submissions
The Yellow Flag Programme made a submission to the consultation on Leaving Certificate Reform. Among the key points raised was the need to embed intercultural education across all subject areas and to involve a diversity panel in the approval of all changes. This month, a submission will be made to the consultation on the draft State report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
IHREC 2020
Last week, the IHREC 2020 grant drew to a close. This funding allowed us to undergo a strategic evaluation of the programme and put in place a tracking system to measure the impact of the programme in schools to enhance our political advocacy.
Black History Month
Yellow Flag schools have been supported throughout the month of October to celebrate Black History Month. We have shared resources and tool kits to help teachers to incorporate this into the classroom.
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Online spark session for the Traveller community
On Thursday 18th November at 2pm, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and Thomas McCann are running an online ‘Spark Session’ for the Traveller community.
The goal of this hour-long session is to help people in the community come up with solutions to social problems they experience, and turn them into successful social enterprises.
Date: 2-3pm, Thursday 18th November
Location: online via Zoom
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81240031589?pwd=RXhSUFpuTiswUEd3VEhMWUdMWVRVdz09
Irish Travellers Access to Justice Project
A team of Traveller/Mincéir/Pavee researchers, working with staff at the University of Limerick, are collecting information about our experiences with the gardaí and the courts. What they find will provide evidence to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission about the treatment of Travellers by the gardaí and courts in Ireland.
They need Travellers/Mincéirs/Pavees to tell them about their experiences, good and bad. If you talk to them, they will NOT share any of your personal information, like your name, with anyone. This means that no-one will be able to tell that you talked to them. If you would like to talk to them, or if you would like to find out more before you decide, you can contact them on these numbers: Sindy Joyce 086-0837992, Margaret O’Brien 086-0138840, Olive O’Reilly 086-0837995.
They are looking for participants for interview (over the phone) and the questions would include:
- How do you feel about the Gardaí and the courts in Ireland?
- Do you think you are treated fairly by the Gardaí and the courts?
- What are your experiences?
There has been a slow uptake in the Dublin region and other areas. This is a unique and important piece of research and we would strongly encourage local groups to take part.
Charity Trustees' Week: 15 - 19 November
To celebrate Charity Trustees' week Pobal is organising a series of events to share the experiences of how organisations, supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal, have built their board and organisation resilience during the pandemic with a particular emphasis on what their plans are for the future to maintain this resilience post COVID-19.
Why not attend this event featuring Galway Traveller Movement:
19th November 2021 9.30am - 10.15am - Connaught: Galway Traveller Movement – Margaret O’Riada & Crossmolina Community Council board member
REGISTER HERE
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The deadline for the next edition of Travellers’ Voice magazine is Friday November 26th. This issue will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the events and initiatives happening within your organisations and communities.New contributors and volunteers welcome. Email michael.power@involve.ie
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Job opportunities
Traveller Community Development Project Co-ordinator
Co. Clare Traveller Community Development Project
Deadline: 1pm on Friday November 19th
More information HERE
Operations Manager (Part-Time)
Traveller Counselling Service
Deadline: 5.30pm on Friday November 19th
More information HERE
Community Drugs Worker (Part-Time)
Traveller Visibility Group, Cork
Deadline: 17th November
More information HERE
Project Co-Ordinator
Laois Traveller Action Group
Deadline: Friday 19th November
More information HERE
Primary Healthcare Co-Ordinator
Laois Traveller Action Group
Deadline: Friday 19th November
More information HERE
Traveller Culture Collections Development Officer
National Museum of Ireland
Deadline: Friday 19th November, 5pm
More Information HERE
Community Development Co-ordinator
East Cork Traveller project
Deadline: 19th November
More information HERE
Network and Communications Officer
Irish Network Against Racism (INAR)
Deadline: 15th November
More information HERE
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