Irish travellers and Roma shadow report: A response to Ireland's Third and Fourth Report on the International Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (CERD)

This report has been prepared by Pavee Point Travellers Centre in response to Ireland’s Combined Third and Fourth Reports to the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Pavee Point Travellers Centre (“Pavee Point”) was established in 1985. It is a voluntary, or non-governmental, organisation committed to the attainment of human rights for Irish Travellers. Pavee Point has also had a Roma Support Group since 2000.

Travellers are a minority ethnic group, indigenous to the island of Ireland.Travellers maintain a shared history, language, traditions and culture. Nomadism was an integral part of Traveller culture, but many Travellers are no longer nomadic, either by choice or due to the lack of support for and criminalisation of nomadism. A study found that there were 36,224 Travellers living in the Republic of Ireland in 2008.

The Roma community in Ireland are mainly migrants from Romania; the majority of Roma have migrated in recent years and include asylum seekers. It is estimated that at least 3,000 Roma currently live in Ireland.