Travellers hit back after call to drop ‘ethnic’ tag over feuds

THE Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) has criticised the remarks of a Fianna Fáil councillor, who called for the community’s ethnic status to be removed following a number of violent feuds in Co. Galway.

Speaking on a local radio station this week, Councillor Donagh Killilea said the ‘ethnic minority tag’ should be removed from the community after videos emerged of a public brawl involving Travellers in Tuam.

‘We get sick and tired of hearing about this “ethnic minority” and all the rights that people have… It’s time now to remove the ethnic minority tag from everybody in this country – it doesn’t matter what colour, race or breed you are,’ he said.

‘Everybody in this country should be treated equally,’ he added.

His comments were branded ‘inappropriate and inflammatory’ by Bernard Joyce, director of the ITM, who accused the councillor of using his position to ‘demonise the Travelling community and destroy bridges’.

He claimed that feuding did not form part of Traveller culture, and the idea of removing a group’s ethnic status as a result of a violent incident was ‘bizarre’. ‘How would that fare out with any other group?’ asked Mr Joyce. ‘If there was a conflict on the street, would you say “You’re no longer Irish”?’

Travellers were formally recognised as an ethnic group by the Dáil in 2017 after a 30-year campaign.

Mr Joyce said Mr Killilea should reflect on his remarks and consider withdrawing them.

However, the councillor doubled down on his remarks and said he would not be withdrawing them.

He said: ‘Some members of the Travelling community think they have a God-given right to do anything they want, to get houses because they feel they are worse off than anyone else who is homeless, or to get preferential health treatment because they have a more minority status than others who are sick. Everyone should be treated the same in Ireland.’