(en) WSM.ie: 10 deaths in fire on halting site for Travellers
in South Dublin - more victims of housing crisis
Yesterday saw the tragic deaths of ten people that were killed in a fire that engulfed
their home in a halting site for travellers in South Dublin. The people killed in the fire
includes five children under the age of ten, and one of the children was six months old.
The fire brigade was called at around 4am. The fire brigade took two adults and two
children from the scene who are being treated in hospital. It is believed there were two
families living in the halting site. ---- Pavee Point have issued a statement sending
their condolence and sympathy to the families. They also said in their statement: ----
"Pavee Point is concerned that many Traveller families throughout Ireland are being forced
to live in overcrowded and dangerous situations due to the impact of the housing crisis.
Travellers are often the hidden victims of the housing crisis.
"The difficulties in accessing the private rented sector are exacerbated for many
Travellers who continue to experience widespread discrimination and find it nigh on
impossible to rent from private landlords. This is in addition to the cuts made by the
government to Traveller accommodation under the guise of Austerity measures with the
budget reduced from EUR40m in 2008 to EUR4m in 2013."
This tragedy has happened at a time when many travelers are being forced to live in over
crowed, substandard and dangerous conditions throughout the country. Last year Dublin City
Council said they would provide 118 units of accommodation for Travellers, but yet so far
DCC has only allocated just one unit. They failed to provide the rest of the 117 units.
The state bureaucracy has shown time and again their utter lack of compassion for the
people they are meant to represent
The accommodation Travellers have to live in are in utterly horrific conditions, their
accommodation plays a major role in Travellers having health problems.
Here are a few of the health problems Travellers suffer from:
- Life expectancy at birth for male Travellers is 15.1% years less than the general
population.
- Life expectancy at birth for female Travellers is now 70.1% which is 11.5 years less
than women in the general population.
- Traveller infant mortality is estimate at 14.1 per 1,000 live births (compared with the
general population rate of 3.9).
- Travellers have a greater burden of chronic diseases than the general population.
- Suicide rates are nearly 7 times higher in Traveller men compared with the general male
population.
- Suicide accounts for 11% of all Traveller deaths.
Minister of Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly needs to secure an
immediate increase of funding for Traveller accommodation now to prevent future tragedies
and loses of life.
Subject: Travellers, Pavee point
Topics: Housing, Migration / racism
Geography: Dublin
Source: News alert
Type: News
Author: Joe Conlon
http://www.wsm.ie/c/-fire-halting-site-travellers-south-dublin-oct2015
