Commissioner says he was ‘struck by consensus’ that ‘structural’ racism hinders access to basic rights
The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner was 'struck by the consensus' on a recent visit to Ireland that 'structural' racism hinders access to basic rights for the Roma and Traveller communities.
Dr O’Flaherty, a human rights lawyer originally from Galway, is the fifth Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, the oldest political body in Europe that aims to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
In terms of the criminal justice system, the memorandum highlights research that found Travellers are hugely over-represented among the prison population with members of the community feeling “over-policed” but “under protected” by a system constructed “by settled people for settled people” in which they feel discriminated against by members of the Garda Siochána and the judiciary.
His memorandum comes after he spent several days during October meeting representatives of the Traveller and Roma communities. He reported that Travellers believe they are being failed by the social housing system and struggling in a “hostile” private rental market.However, he said members of the Roma and Traveller communities continue to face huge challenges and negative outcomes in areas such as health, including mental health, with life expectancy more than 10 years higher for the general population than for Travellers who are seven times more likely to die by suicide.
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