It is election time again.
No, we are not asking you for your vote.
But we do want you to talk with election candidates about Traveller accommodation.
Did you know that 1200 Travellers still live by the roadside in Ireland? This causes huge problems for Travellers who die younger in the harsh living conditions, and whose education is affected by constant movement.
It also affects settled communities who suffer when unofficial roadside camps are set up near their homes.
Did you know that there is no longer a need for this to happen?
- Every local authority in the country has been given legal powers to provide accommodation for all Travellers, in houses, and temporary and permanent halting sites
- The Department of the Environment has made available the necessary funding to provide this accommodation which brings benefits both to Travellers and settled people.
- Both Cork County Council and Cork Corporation have consistently under-used the funding available to them to provide Traveller accommodation.
And who suffers as a result?
- People like you do, when Travellers have to camp outside your door, with no water, refuse or toilet facilities.
- Travellers do, when they live in these third world conditions, and under constant threat of eviction by the local authorities.
- We all lose out when Cork County Council and Cork Corporation spend thousands on legal fees to take court injunctions to move Travellers on from one place. All that happens is that they find another place to stay. The only people who gain from this are the lawyers, and nothing is done to deal with the problem.
The silly thing is, everybody gains from proper planned Traveller accommodation. In every part of Ireland where Travellers have been accommodated, settled residents generally live in harmony with them.
Why do we have to accept the problems that Travellers and settled people suffer from lack of action by Cork Corporation and Cork County Council?
You have a right to demand from every election candidate that this nonsense must stop. We all need action now. Even if you don’t want to do this for the Travellers, then do it for yourself.
