Calls for boost to Traveller youth projects

Report says services sparse where community lives

- CATE McCURRY

ALMOST half of Travellers live in counties which have no funded specific youth projects for their community, a survey has found.

Launched by the Irish Traveller Movement, the poll sparked calls for improved services to meet the needs of one of the most marginalised groups of young people.

The majority of funding for youth work programmes comes through the Department of Children’s UBU programme.

However, the ITM survey found that numerous counties with significant Traveller populations - Cork, Limerick and Wexford have no Traveller specific UBU-funded youth projects.

It added while Traveller organisations were more active at engaging with youth than mainstream youth services, more than half of its organisations receive no funding for youth work.