The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights has raised concerns about unsafe housing, homelessness, discrimination, and mental health issues faced by Traveller and Roma people in Ireland. The Commissioner has called on the government to repeal trespassing laws that criminalize Travellers for living on public or private land, but the government has not indicated any plans to review these laws.

Despite a recommendation to scrap trespassing laws made by a Traveller Accommodation Expert Group in 2019, the Irish government has not taken action on this issue. Travellers continue to face eviction, imprisonment, and impoundment of their trailers due to these laws, which hinder their nomadic lifestyle. The government’s response to the Commissioner’s report did not address the call for a repeal of trespassing legislation.

Travellers in Ireland also face challenges in education, discrimination in the rental market, poor living conditions, and mental health issues. The government has acknowledged the issues raised by the Commissioner and expressed a commitment to addressing them, but there is still work to be done to improve the rights and living conditions of Travellers and Roma people in Ireland.