WHEN I started covering council meetings as a reporter in the late 1980s, there was nothing better than a row over the location of a halting site.
It had all the ingredients of a perfect local news story: the well-heeled residents who cited health and safety concerns for Travellers but stood accused of only caring about property values; the politicians tripping over themselves to claim credit for a halting site being rejected; the ubiquitous photo of a county councillor pointing to a field.
A good old scrap over a halting site could liven up even the dullest council meeting. The posher the proposed location for a halting site, the more furious the debate. While never specifically stated, the subtext was often along the lines of: “Why can’t we just put the Travellers beside the poor areas so the tourists won’t have to see them?”
Fast-forward 30 years and we’re supposedly living in a far more tolerant age, where equality and respect are enshrined in law. Officially, we don’t put up with hate speech and racism, unless, of course, we’re having a pop at Travellers.
If you were to judge attitudes towards Travellers on social media comments alone, it would paint a disturbing picture of a regressive Ireland; a country far removed from the one that supported marriage equality and voted to liberalise our abortion laws.
During the summer, the initial outrage caused by a photograph of children sleeping overnight in a Garda station quickly evaporated when it became known that the mother was from a Traveller background. The controversy about the housing crisis was soon eclipsed by a more unsavoury discussion about personal responsibility and the largesse of our social welfare system.
The internet went into overdrive when it was reported that Travellers in Tipperary had allegedly rejected housing accommodation on the basis that there were no stables for their horses. Last week, presidential candidate Peter Casey waded into the issue, giving his critics further reason to question his suitability for the role. Not surprisingly, Casey’s controversial views were supported by anonymous texters to radio talk shows. He might have even got a few extra votes out of it because there are people out there who agree with him.
Recent events represent a setback in terms of relations between the settled and Traveller communities. But we should use the opportunity to help dispel lazy stereotypes about Travellers. Equally, residents’ groups should be able to express legitimate fears about locating halting sites in unsuitable areas without fear of being branded racist.
As the reaction to Peter Casey’s comments showed, there’s still quite a lot of work to be done.