Irish Travellers
Who are Irish Travellers?
Irish Travellers are a minority ethnic group in Ireland. Their ethnicity was officially recognised by the Irish State in 2017. According to the 2022 Census, there are 32,949 Irish Travellers in Ireland, marking a 6% increase since 2016. While more Travellers are participating in the Census, the count is still not complete.
The Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage (DHLGH) conducts an Annual Traveller Family count. In 2023, they counted 12,367 Traveller families. With an average family size of four, this suggests an estimated Traveller population of 49,468. Travellers make up less than 1% of Ireland's total population.
Traveller Health Pyramids & population data
Traveller Health Status
The health inequalities that lead to such poor health status are highlighted in the findings of the https://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/AITHS_SUMMARY.pdf (All Ireland Traveller Health Study (2010)). These include:
- Traveller women live on average 11.5 years less than women in the general population;
- Traveller men live on average 15 years less; and
- the number of deaths among Traveller infants is estimated at 14.1 for every 1,000 live births compared to 3.9 for every 1,000 live births among the general population;
- the study also showed that deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and suicides increased in Travellers compared to the general population.
National Strategy
The strategic direction of Traveller health care is outlined in the Second National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan.
National Traveller Health Action Plan (NTHAP) 2022-2027
The NTHAP aims to address significant health inequalities in Traveller Community over the five year period 2022-2027.
It outlines these inequalities in detail, outlines a framework for delivery of actions and gives a picture of what successful implementation looks like.
The plan is underpinned by the principles of Traveller Inclusion and community development (social justice, human rights, participation and collectivity). It takes a social determinants approach to health, and seeks to achieve equitable outcomes in health for the Traveller community through partnership working.
Implementation and Accountability
The Plan includes a framework for implementation. It has a number of elements, including mainstreaming, targeting, monitoring, using a social determinants approach to health and partnership working. Key to the success of the Plan is establishing a system of Ethnic Equality Monitoring across HSE data sets.
Goals of the NTHAP
- Goal 1: Strengthen the governance, monitoring and structures to support implementation of the National Traveller Health Action Plan
- Goal 2. Improve Traveller’s equality of access, participation and outcomes in mainstream health services through a human-rights based approach
- Goal 3. Address the social determinants of Traveller health through targeted and mainstreaming measures
- Goal 4. Enhancing Travellers’ access to culturally appropriate primary health care through investment in Traveller Health Units and Primary Health Care for Travellers Projects.
Traveller Health Infrastructure
National Traveller Health Implementation Group (NTHIG)
The purpose of the National Traveller Health Implementation Group is to drive implementation of the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027.
Traveller Health Units (THUs)
Currently, there are seven Traveller Health Units nationally.
The THUs focus on the health needs of Travellers and work to reduce health inequalities for Travellers within the HSE. They are key to ensuring that Travellers are linked to healthcare and that their health issues are included in general health policies and services. THUs operate at the local level and collaborate with Traveller organisations and Primary Healthcare Projects.
Primary Health Care for Traveller Projects (PHCTPs)
PHCTPs are partnership projects between the HSE and Traveller organisations. They support Traveller families directly and connect mainstream health services with Traveller Community Health Workers. These projects train Travellers to become Traveller community health peer workers (TCHWs), helping to bridge the gap between the Traveller community, which faces significant health inequalities, and health services that need to provide culturally appropriate care and information.
National Traveller Health Advisory Forum (THAF)
The overall purpose of the THAF is to provide national coordination and support for Traveller health planning, delivery and monitoring.