26th September 2024
On 26 September 2024, the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community (2023) met to discuss Travellers in Prison with presentations from Saoirse Brady (Irish Penal Reform Trust), Anne Costello (Traveller Justice Initiative hosted by Irish Penal Reform Trust), the Traveller Mediation Service and Barnardos, and was chaired by Committee Cathaoirleach, Senator Eileen Flynn.
The Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community (2023) has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad. The Committee was re-established in June 2023 to continue the work of the previous Committee, whose final report can be found here. This was the Committee's first public meeting on the subject of ‘Travellers’ experience of the justice system.
Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, highlighted that Travellers represent less than one percent of the population, however, statistics show 8 per cent of men in prison are Travellers, 16 per cent of women in prison are Travellers, and 21 per cent of children detained are Travellers. Traveller Justice Initiative (TJI) Coordinator, Anne Costello, indicated that this is likely much more due to gaps in data.
In IPRT's submission, Saoirse Brady further spoke about issues with data on Travellers in the criminal justice system, IPRT's report "Sometimes I’m Missing the Words”: The rights, needs and experiences of foreign national and minority ethnic groups in the Irish penal system, the need for a review of Prison Rules and complaints process, called for a dedicated strategy for Travellers in the criminal justice system and a thematic inspection on Irish Travellers in prison.
In TJI's submission, Anne Costello spoke about the over-representation of Travellers across the justice system and imprisonment linked to poverty, mental health and addiction rooted in trauma. She also spoke about standards in prisons, pre-sentence reports and the judiciary.
The opening statements of all the speakers were followed by a question and answer session afterward. Full committee proceedings will be available to watch on IPRT's YouTube or the House of the Oireachtas website.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.
