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2004 was an exciting and challenging year for ITM. Once again the securing of funding has given a much needed boost to the organisation’s funds, particularly for the new posts such as the Education worker, Community Advocacy Programme and the EU Equal Programme. These will go a long way towards allowing ITM to develop the work to which we are committed.
2004 saw the build up and preparation of the Traveller Education Strategy. 2005 will be a crucial year for the development of this Strategy and it is envisaged that the strategy will go a long way to ensure that Traveller learners will have full and equal access to mainstream education and training provision.
Travellers who are forced to live in unofficial accommodation still face the threat of eviction and uncertainty under the trespass legislation. Traveller accommodation remains one of the biggest challenges for Traveller groups at a local and national level and with the preparation of the new accommodation programmes, local groups will have a huge challenge in ensuring Traveller accommodation targets are met.
This Annual Report gives an overview of the work undertaken in 2004. It looks at the key issues and advances made in areas such as education, accommodation, and equality. It also looks at the work of the legal unit and the progress it has made throughout 2004.
ITM thanks all our members for the hard work put into ITM and its structures in 2004, and in particular to the people who have given their time in a voluntary capacity, as it is your commitment that makes ITM continue to grow from strength to strength.
Nancy Power
Chairperson, ITM Central Group.
ITM is a National representative organisation; our membership is made up of over 90 local Traveller groups and organisations in Ireland and the UK. ITM pursues the attainment of Travellers’ human rights through our key policy areas and by lobbying the government to ensure that Traveller issues are on their agenda.
ITM is represented by the staff and members on a wide range of groups and committees at governmental, community and voluntary level.
At a National Level, ITM has played a role in:
In the wider community and voluntary sectors, ITM links with a wide range of groups including:
ITM core funding comes through the National Networks Programme which is funded by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Department of the Environment continues to fund the National Accommodation post, while the majority of funding for the Legal Unit comes from Atlantic Philanthropies. Finally, the funding of the Membership Development Worker came from the Joseph Rowntree Trust. ITM wishes to acknowledge the support of our funders in this report.
Catherine Joyce Coordinator
Phil Mullen Administrator
Anne Jennings Administrator
Caroline Talbot Accommodation
Thomas McCann Equality Worker
Caroline Doyle Membership Worker
Claire Davey Accommodation <
David Joyce Development worker LU
The Accommodation Working Group is central to the accommodation work within the ITM. There is nationwide representation on the group and it meets every 4 to 6 weeks. As well as business meetings, usually held in Dublin, it also goes on site visits, in order to support groups within their own area. These visits comprise site visits in the morning and public meetings in the afternoon, families’, elected representatives, Local Authority Officials and media are invited to these public meetings.
The main focus of the Working Group in 2004 was concentrating on the last year of the implementation of the Local Traveller Accommodation Programmes, and the beginning of the process for the new 2005 – 2008 Programmes, as well as the ongoing Review of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998.
The Aims and objectives of the Accommodation Working Group are:
The ITM continued to hold a number of Seminars throughout 2004 as a way of supporting local Traveller groups and LTACC reps to participate on their LTACCs.
These Seminars were held in Dublin, Cork and Galway to try and ensure accessibility.
One round of these seminars had representation from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG), along with Local Authority Officials and elected representatives. The seminars serve as a useful link between the working of the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (NTACC) and the LTACCs.
National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (NTACC)
ITM along with Pavee Point and the National Traveller Women’s Forum are represented on the NTACC. A lot of the work involved in the NTACC during 2004 was to do with the Review of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998. The ITM continued to make, in 2004, a number of submissions to this process. The key element of these submissions was the establishment of an independent Traveller Accommodation Agency. The Review of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998was completed by the end of 2004, however, we are awaiting the official publication by the department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. 2005 will be a challenging year for ITM as we will have to respond to the outcomes of the Review and look at our position in regard to the NTACC.
Supports to Local Traveller Organisations
The National Accommodation Officer has continued to resource Travellers and workers in local organisations. Ongoing advice and support was provided in 2004 on a regular basis to groups and individuals dealing with emergency and crisis situations. We have also continued to engage with relevant local authority officials who have responsibility for the Traveller Accommodation Programmes. The Officer also provided cultural awareness training to LTACCs and local authority staff in 2004.
Media
The Officer has continued to respond to ongoing issues within the media and compiled a number of press releases in regard to accommodation issues. Media work continues to be a challenge, due to funding restrictions; however, the Accommodation Working Group has identified this as a priority for the next year.
Currently ITM has funding for one National Accommodation Officer. As accommodation is the prime issue facing Travellers and there are currently 38 new Local Traveller Accommodation Programmes, sourcing funding for a second accommodation post is a priority for 2005.
In 2004 the ITMLU pursued its objectives in accordance with the strategic plan. The work of the ITMLU is wide ranging and incorporates strategic casework and community development approaches to promoting Traveller human and legal rights as an ethnic minority within Irish society.
One of the key factors highlighted this year was that the best test cases are the ones that are supported by the local Traveller organisations. Traveller organisations involvement in case work and in the Legal Unit structures has been crucial to the development and success of the unit.
Central Group
The ITM Central group has overall responsibility for the Legal Unit and employment of staff.
The Legal Unit employs
Legal Working Group
The legal working group contains members of the ITM, solicitors and legal professionals. This group met throughout 2004 and continued to act as an advisory group to the Legal Unit and carried out its role of supporting the staff and work of the unit.
In 2003 the Law Society refused to allow the ITMLU to employ a practicing solicitor directly. The ITMLU worked with the other law centres to examine possible solutions for organisations like the ITM to be able to employ solicitors directly. The submission was viewed positively by the Law Society and we expect an outcome in 2005.
Strategic Test Cases
The Legal Unit has supported Travellers in accessing legal assistance in a number of areas over the year.
Influencing Policy Change
The development of a network of legal professionals
The purpose of this network is to ensure that legal practitioners have a familiarity with the relevant laws as they relate to Travellers. This work involves:
Development of the Strategic Forum
The purpose of the Strategic Forum is to inform policy makers on issues emerging from the ongoing work of the Legal Unit and to examine changes that can be put in place to progress Traveller legal issues.
The Forum is made up of representatives from the following bodies:
The Legal Aid Board, An Garda Síochána, The Law Society, The Bar Council, Comhairle, The Human Rights Commission, The Independent Law Centres Network, The Courts Service, The Department of Justice, The Children’s Rights Alliance. There were a number of key developments arising from the strategic forum. Each organisation has agreed to address issues affecting Travellers.
Human Rights Commission: The IHRC has included an objective in their business plan for 2005, to undertake joint work with ITMLU in relation to reform of the law relevant to Travellers.
An Garda Síochána: The representative of the Gardaí agreed to look at their participation in matters such as evictions, and dealing with complaints from local authorities, in light of relevant human rights considerations.
The Bar Council: A system has been established whereby a request can be made to identify a Barrister with relevant knowledge to take on cases on a pro bono basis.
EQUAL Legal Education for All Project (LEAP)
In September 2004 the ITMLU in partnership with Ballymun Law Centre, and Community Legal Resource (a private company dedicated to legal education in a community setting) secured funding to establish an EQUAL initiative. This project aims to provide support and training in legal education for employment opportunities in the legal profession to participants from non typical communities. The EQUAL project will span three years from January 2005.
TRANSPOSE - Community Advocacy
The Legal Unit obtained funding to develop its Community Advocacy project that will focus specifically on combating discrimination. This programme involves training and supporting Travellers and member organisations to access their legal rights. The TRANSPOSE project is in partnership with the European Roma Rights Centre and the Italia Helsinki Committee. The project will commence implementation in 2005, and run until the end of 2006.
The development of a Community Advocacy programme will build on the work that was already completed by ITM in partnership with the Equality Authority.
Information Provision
Legal Packs
The emphasis in the legal packs is on practical accessible information, so that legal professionals, presented with an issue of relevance to Travellers, could quickly find if there was case law, legislation or other information in the area. The Legal Packs were launched and distributed at the legal seminar held in 2004.
Information sessions
The Legal Unit, in partnership with Ballymun Law Centre, undertook a series of training sessions in relation to legal awareness with Travellers living in the Ballymun area. The training consisted of six hour-long sessions designed to develop an awareness of the law and its relevance to the Traveller Community.
Legal Packs for Local groups
A funding proposal was submitted to Comhairle during 2004 to assist in the cost of developing legal packs for local groups based on the needs of those groups, and the themes that emerged from the queries being submitted from local groups to ITMLU. Drafting the content of the packs commenced in 2004, and the packs will be completed and distributed in 2005.
Networking
Independent Law Centres Network
The Legal Unit is a member of the Independent Law Centres Network (ILCN) which continued to meet throughout 2004.
The Law Centres liaised with Law Centres Northern Ireland to look at developing joint initiatives on an all-Ireland basis. Links were also created with the Law Centres Federation in the UK. In October 2004, all the members of the ILCN contributed to a booklet on the European Convention on Human Rights. The booklet was presented at a lunch time session in Wynns Hotel and was well received. It is intended by ILCN that this event will take place annually.
Media
2004 saw an increase in the awareness of the Legal Unit by the national broadcast and print media. Media inputs ranged across a diverse collection of topics involving Traveller issues with participation by the policy officer in national radio and television programmes. There has also been coverage of the Legal Unit in the broadsheet newspapers all of which has enabled the unit to raise its profile amongst those in the legal profession who may be interested in taking cases on behalf of Travellers.
Submissions
The ITMLU made the following submissions:
Review of the Operation of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation Act) 1998
The Legal Unit contributed to submissions by the national Accommodation Officer in relation to the reform of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, and in relation to the operation of other legislation impacting on the provision of Traveller Accommodation.
Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
The ITMLU produced a shadow report and commentary on the Irish National Report to CERD. This shadow report focused on the issue of Traveller ethnicity and the Irish Government refusal to recognise Travellers as an ethnic minority within the State’s report.
The ITMLU submitted its shadow report to the CERD secretariat in December 2004.
Human Rights Commission
The Legal Unit submitted a request in 2004 to the Human Rights Commission to carry out an audit of legislation relevant to Travellers’ Human Rights. It is expected that this work will highlight the impact of negative legislation on the Traveller Community.
Equality Issues
The Equality worker maintains a position that straddles both the ITM and the Legal Unit. The Equality worker has a broad remit within the organisation that includes both particular representative activities and ongoing development work.
Equality Working Group
Key people were identified from local organisations and asked to participate in the EWG in addition individuals from outside of the ITM membership, e.g. the ICCL were invited to participate. The EWG has identified a number of key concerns and issues with regard to equality that need to be addressed both at national and local level.
Actions taken:
A training session was provided with the Southern Network of the ITM, about 60 people attended. It is envisaged that this training will provide the basis of an equality training pack for groups to use at local level.
The issues addressed by the training included
Human Rights Day
The EWG developed a strategy to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The ITM organised a national event and local groups were provided with a suggested advertisement to raise awareness about Traveller issues but also about the connection between human rights at home and abroad.
A number of meetings with the Equality Authority on equality proofing took place, emphasising the need to address the Traveller dimension vis-à-vis equality proofing and the possibility of training in this area for EWG. Meetings also took place with the board of the Equality Authority, as well as attendance at a seminar of the committee on the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities.
Networking and Representation
The Equality Development Worker and members of the EWG have a representative role on the following groups:
Following on from special resolutions at last years AGM a significant amount of work has been undertaken in developing a new database of ITM members.
Membership now comprises of distinct categories:
Criteria – Must be a Local Traveller Organisation/ Traveller Group
The Rights Afforded to Full Members are:
1. a National/ International Full Member
Criteria – National and International Irish Traveller Organisations
The Rights Afforded to National and International Full Members are:
Criteria - Organisations and Individuals who support the aims and objectives of ITM e.g. Equality Authority, Statutory Bodies, Preschools, Training Centres
The Rights Afforded to Associate Members are:
Criteria – Individual Travellers who are not linked into local groups and who support the aims and objectives of ITM.
The Rights Afforded to Individual Traveller Members are:
N.B.
The Central Group of the ITM reserves the right to co-opt individuals onto the central group who they believe would be an asset to the Central Group.
Regional Networks have the right to nominate from the regions for co-options to the Central Group
Considerable work has been ongoing throughout the country in making links with new groups and members and also in supporting existing groups.
Last year focused on three main areas:
All of the above work is taking place in partnership with the local Traveller communities, local community and voluntary groups and the National Traveller Women’s Forum.
The following networks have been active and met regularly during 2004. These include:
Work needs to take place in the West and network events planned in the North Eastern areas.
To date regional networks have held at least two events in the year. Some of the events have focused on:
The ITM education report “Travellers in Education: Strategies for Equality” was published last year. This report looks at the existing education policies and the role of Traveller organisations in education provision and support. The ITM video “Moving On: Travellers and Third Level Education” was launched in conjunction with University College Cork in 2004. The video promotes the possibility and options for access to third level education for Travellers. Both have received positive feedback from our members.
As part of the development of the Traveller Education Strategy, The ITM, in conjunction with the National Traveller Women’s Forum and Pavee Point, organised 5 regional seminars and one national workshop on Traveller Education. The report on the Consultations with Traveller Parents and Learners will inform the position of ITM at the Joint Working Group which is in the process of developing the Traveller Education Strategy.
The ITM education-working group has spent considerable time and energy, re-establishing its membership and developing a work programme for the group, which will include informing our members on the developments of the Traveller Education Strategy.