A CAMPAIGN to combat begging by children was promised yesterday by Mr Austin Currie, the Minister of State for Education, Health and Justice.
Gardai, social workers and school attendance officers will be asked to work together on the campaign, he said at the launch of a report by Pavee Point, the Dublin based education and development group of community workers.
Ms Ronnie Fray of Pavee Point welcomed the Minister's remarks but said travellers would want to be represented on the committee which draws up the campaign.
Referring to public concern about children begging, Mr Currie said: "It is clear to me that these children are being seat out to beg by adults and that child begging is being organised, on a systematic basis by adults.
He has asked the Garda, the Eastern Health Board and the School Attendance Service of Dublin Corporation to put forward their views on such begging.
The report, "Pavee Children - a study on Childcare Issues for Travellers", is the work of a social researcher, Ms Colette Murray.
She notes that more than 40 per cent of travellers are aged under 10. Infant mortality among travellers is about three times the average, she says. The number of preschools facilities for travellers grew rapidly, from 18 to 56, in the 10 years to 1994 but Ms Murray criticises them on a variety of grounds. Many of the people on pre school management committees have little or no experience of pre school education or of traveller culture, she says. They get relatively little funding compared to the Early Start Programme in the schools. There are no full time staff in the schools. Among its recommendations are:
. Traveller pre school facilities be funded in the same way as the Early Start Programme;
. A drive should be made to employ more travellers in childcare services for traveller children;
. FAS should develop courses for travellers in childcare services.