The English Court of Appeal in Sheridan & Ors v Basildon Borough Council has found that the defendant Council does not have to offer halting sites or “culturally-sensitive” accommodation to Irish Travellers instead of houses or flats. The dispute relates to the residents of Dale Farm, who were evicted last year. Bulletin readers may recall the Dale Farm evictions which took place last October.
Lawyers for one of the Travellers, John Sheridan told the court that he “has an aversion to bricks and mortar accommodation.” Mr. Sheridan has a history of heavy drinking and psychiatric problems and Dr Mark Slater commented that “it could amount to a death sentence for him.”
The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain have voiced their concerns with the ruling and commented that it demonstrated “a complete lack of cultural awareness and/or any understanding as to who the Gypsies and Travellers are. It also contradicts and makes a mockery of the Race Relations Act which clearly stipulates a right to life of self-determination. This judgment is nothing more than forced assimilation of Britain’s Gypsy and Traveller communities.”
Meanwhile, figures released from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland have revealed that very few Travellers are over the age of 50 and this is due to their “difficult living circumstances.” It has also shown that Travellers are also disadvantaged when it comes to education and this aspect is “very stark.”
The research was conducted by the ERSI on behalf of the Equality Authority and was the first time that research has taken place in Ireland when it comes to examining disadvantage faced on the nine grounds of discrimination under the Equality Acts.
Click here to see an article on the English Court of Appeal decision by the Irish Times.
Click here to see an article on the ESRI report by the Irish Times.
Click here to see the full Court of Appeal judgment.