Travellers & ASBO's

down | anti-capitalism | news report Sunday June 12, 2005 21:57 by Mark Hewitt - ARN & SWP southbelfast.arn at gmail dot com

Don't let them get away with this.

The text was compiled by members of the ARN Steering Committee:

The Housing Executive have just been involved in one of the most despicable acts against travellers imaginable. Yesterday (Friday 10 June), in an appalling move, a court slapped ASBOs on two members of the traveller community barring them from entering Larne town. The two travellers form part of a much bigger family and social group and therefore it is a bar on a whole group of travellers.

The only time they will be allowed back in the town is to attend court on the 1st July. The Magistrate, Mr Alcorn, stipulated that on the day they are due in court they must enter Larne on foot, having parked their vehicles well outside the town. The ASBO also bars them from a number of other places where they had previously parked outside of Larne and of doing a whole list of things considered to be offensive by Larne Council who applied for the Order, including swearing and urinating in public places. Larne Council, although appalling in applying for this Order, were acting on the advice of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

In fact the most disgusting aspect of the case was the involvement of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the whole thing. Every permanent halting site in the north is full. It is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to provide temporary halting sites so that travellers are not forced to camp "illegally" and children have access to schools, GPs, running water, electricity, sanitation etc.

When they were given this role in 1999 the NIHE said "As Northern Ireland's comprehensive housing authority the Executive looks forward with enthusiasm and confidence to taking on this new responsibility. This is in line with the Executive's response to the consultation document. The need for a co-ordinated approach is clear and the recommendations will ensure that the housing needs of the travelling community are effectively and sensitively met"

IN THE SIX YEARS SINCE THAT STATEMENT THEY HAVE PROVIDED THE GRAND TOTAL OF 0 HALTING SITES

Instead they have forced travellers to camp illegally in squalid conditions without proper sanitation and then helped obtain orders barring them from camping illegally and urinating in public places. Before the Order was imposed the Mayor of Larne said its purpose was to "get these people moving and keep them moving".

The Housing Executivewere present in court on Friday to hear the Magistrate impose the Order. Members of Belfast City Council were also in court, no doubt to see how it's done.

The Housing Executive should not be allowed to get away with it. The Order is an Interim Order until the full hearing on 1st July. It is important that pressure is put on the Housing Executive to withdraw endorsement for this racist Order before that date.

Anti Racists should make a really big effort to attend the protest. This is a very dangerous step along the path of criminalising the traveller way of life and making the already miserable conditions faced by travellers even worse.

ANTI TRAVELLER RACISM IS DESTROYING LIVES
Poor health status:
The mortality rate for Traveller children up to the age of 10 has been found to be 10 times that for the population as a whole. Overall the life expectancy of Travellers is around 20% lower than the general population. Only 10% of the Traveller population are over 40 years of age and only 1% are aged over 65.
Poor living conditions:
Travellers are eight times more likely to live in overcrowded conditions in comparison with the general population in Northern Ireland. Many still have extremely limited access to basic amenities such as running water, electricity and sanitation, including some of those living on serviced sites.
Long-term unemployment:
Only 11% are in paid employment of one form or another, whilst 70% of those who are economically active have had no paid work in the last ten years;
Poor levels of educational attainment:
The vast majority of Travellers have no formal qualifications (92% have no GSCEs or their equivalent or higher). There are high levels of non-attendance at secondary school, non-existent attendance at tertiary level and high levels of illiteracy;

PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-TRAVELLER RACISM BY NIHE
FRIDAY 17TH JUNE 2005 AT 4PM
OUTSIDE THE HOUSING EXECUTIVE BUILDING ON ADELAIDE STREET (BEHIND CITY HALL)