Almost all Travellers in the State would like to engage in nomadism at least some of the time, but are prevented from doing so because of the failure of almost every local authority to provide transient halting sites, a report from the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) has found.
The survey, carried out earlier this year and just published, finds 95 per cent of Travellers would, if facilities were in place, "love to be able to travel".
It finds that nomadism, or travelling, is seen as an integral part of the Traveller identity.
Activist Michael McDonagh, who is quoted in the study, said: "Nomadism is a way of looking at the world, a different way of perceiving things, a different attitude to accommodation, work and life in general, to the attitude of settled people."
Nomadism has become almost impossible, however, according to Damien Peelo, co-ordinator of the ITM. This is despite the provision in the 1998 Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act that all local authorities provide transient halting sites - ie sites for Travellers to stay at for a limited period of time before moving on. There is one transient site in the State, in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
"It is imperative that transient site provision is seen as being as important as permanent accommodation and that an integrated approach is adopted to meet all the needs and accommodation options," says Mr Peelo. The anti-trespass legislation, introduced in 2002, forbids overnight camping on public land.
Claire Davey, national accommodation officer with the ITM, said that while "some progress has been made in recent years on Travellers' primary accommodation facilities, facilitating nomadism has not been a priority".
In 2004 the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee recommended that land being used for a transient site for a specific number of weeks - eg such as at Knock, Co Mayo, for the annual pilgrimage - be exempted from needing planning permission.
The ITM is now calling on the Government to establish a body to co-ordinate transient accommodation. "Accommodating nomadism should consist of a designated place . . . where Travellers can come and temporarily stay," it says.
