No, I’m not backing down! Casey ramps up explosive claims about Travellers
RACE FOR ÁRAS COMES TO LIFE
PETER Casey is today due to visit a controversial Traveller housing development – a day after suggesting that Travellers were being selfish in turning down the accommodation.
A number of Traveller families are reportedly declining to move into new homes outside Thurles, Co. Tipperary, as these do not have stables for their horses.
Yesterday, Presidential candidate Mr Casey faced criticism from other caandidates for remarking on the situation in Tipperary and saying the Travelling community should not be recognised as an ethnic minority.
Mr Casey described the properties in Cabragh Bridge as being ‘state of the art, beautiful houses’ and blasted the situation as ‘ridiculous’. The former Dragons’ Den star said: ‘I don’t believe the Travellers should be given special status. Why should they be given status over and above yourself or myself?’
He said the fact that they are seen as an ethnic minority is ‘a load of nonsense’. ‘They are not Romany or whatever. They are basically people that are camping in other people’s land. Imagine the poor farmer whose land they camped on. Who’d buy the land from him?’ he said.
Mr Casey also said ‘they get education, they get support, they are not paying their fair share of taxes in society’.
On RTÉ’s Six One News, he went further, accusing the Traveller rights centre Pavee Point of showing ‘poor leadership’.
He said Pavee Point should have pointed out to the Tipperary Travellers that there are people living homeless in Dublin and that it was selfish to turn down brand new houses.
Mr Casey does not appear to be backing down from his remarks, as he said he intends today to visit the controversial housing development as he canvasses Thurles and then Cork.
Martin Collins from Pavee Point yesterday said they were ‘very disturbed’ by the ‘very simplistic generalisations that Peter makes on Travellers’.
He said some of Mr Casey’s remarks were ‘bordering on racism’ and they are ‘not befitting’ of a candidate who is seeking to become President and that he should withdraw from the race.
Mr Collins also said it appeared to be a ‘desperate measure from a desperate man who is doing poorly in the polls’.
RTÉ reported last night that Mr Collins said the dispute is actually centred over land access for the horses, and that the families involved were prepared to construct the stables. It is a point disputed by several Tipperary councillors.
Sinn Féin presidential candidate Liadh Ní Riada attacked Mr Casey for his comments.
She said: ‘For anyone seeking public office, let alone that of the nation’s first citizen to engage in lazy, racist stereotyping of any ethnic group is unacceptable.’
The Irish Traveller Movement yesterday called for a retraction of the comments and an apology from Mr Casey.
The group said: ‘These comments were either founded on ignorance at best or in an attempt to harness anti-Traveller support for election purposes. Travellers have often been scapegoated to canvass electoral support in the run up to both local and general elections.’
The group said these remarks demonstrate ‘a new low for high office showing a lack of fundamental knowledge and thwarts the social conditions around Travellers’ place in Irish society and their unique status as Ireland’s only indigenous minority’.
Senator Joan Freeman, who is also contesting the election, said his comments showed ‘how out of touch he is with this country’.
Gavin Duffy, whom Mr Casey has described as being his friend, said his remarks were ‘reckless and inflammatory and ‘have no place’ in the Presidential campaign.
During his Six One interview, Mr Casey said he still believed he has ‘very good chance’ of being elected and he said there is ‘far too much political correctness here in this society’.
He said: ‘I say what I think, and I think what I say, sometimes people don’t like to hear it but it is what it is.’
‘Camping on other people’s land’ ‘I say what I think’