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One-quarter of Traveller families in the State are living without access to water, toilets and refuse collection, according to Citizen Traveller.
Announcing its Charter of Aspirationsin Dublin today, the organisation - set up to promote public awareness of issues relating to the Traveller community - said local authorities hold the key to improving the quality of life for Travellers.
It said relations with settled communities would be improved by local authorities providing better accomodation in consultation with Travellers.
"The delay in the provision of accomodation around Ireland has contributed to the ever-increasing tension between Travellers and settled people," Ms Gráinne O’Toole, accomodation officer of the Irish Traveller Movement, told a press conference today.
She said all the State’s local authorities had adopted a Government-sponsored plan to provide improved accomodation for Travellers but so far none of the authorities had met their targets and in some cases had not set targets.
The Task Force on the Travelling Communityreport in 1995 said halting sites for 2,200 families were needed by last year, but Citizen Traveller say only 111 units have been provided.
It does say that group housing schemes have improved, with 839 of 900 recommended houses now provided.
"Research has proven that bad health and high mortality rates among the Traveller community is a direct consequence of poor accomodation," Ms O’Toole said.
The press conference heard form Ms Jana O’Leary, a member of the Traveller community, who said that children were being admitted to hospital with illnesses such as pneumonia because of badly planned, or non-existent heating and sanitation facilities at halting sites.
Mr David Joyce, also a member of the Traveller community, said the lives of Travllers would be improved if they had the security of knowing they would not be moved from their site "at the whim of some local official".
The Citizen Traveller Charter of Aspirations calls for:
- The completion of programmes that will lead to all Travellers living quality accomodation by the end of 2004
- The participation of Travellers in all levels of education and the delivery of education
- That people respect the distinct culture and identity of Travellers in particular Government, State agencies and local authorities
- The enforcement of equality legislation and proactive measures to eliminate discrimination against Travellers
- Continuing support for Traveller representative organisations and their public awareness campaigns