This article is from page 2 of the 2009-12-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
under the Free- dom of Information Act, of the 11 staff members dealing directly with Traveller issues, seven have been transferred to other areas of the local authority since 2004, with two other retiring during that time.
No details were given on why such a high number of staff members re- ceived transfers to areas of the coun- cil which do not deal directly with
Traveller issues.
According to Traveller rights cam- paigner, Heather Rosen, this is part of a wider campaign to erode the stand- ing of Travellers when dealing with the local authority. She claims that the local authority have failed to replace a dedicated Traveller social worker even though the position has been va- cant for more then nine years.
“It’s not a good situation. When Clare County Council are issuing court proceedings against a Traveller family they can easily get the Envi- ronmental Health Officer out to say that the accommodation is not fit to live in, but, when Traveller families are desperately in need because of problems with accommodation, no-
one is ever sent out. All of a sudden they say that they don’t have the per- sonnel to examine the homes or they are not qualified,” said Rosen.
“There was a dedicated social worker in the Traveller Accommo- dation Unit until 2000 and when she left she was never replaced.”
According to Rosen, Clare County Council have begun a process which will bring to an end all local author- ity positions which deal only with OBE NON mp EoKe
‘From what I have heard there is not going to be anyone dealing directly with Travellers anymore. Travellers will be dealing directly with the gen- eral council staff even though their situations are drastically different
from anyone else who will walk into LoLeTaTeopmoLUbN Cen Dercamae
Clare County Council were con- tacted in relation with this story but no comment was received at the time of going to press. However, according to the the information received under the Freedom of Information Act, a number of the positions mentioned involved dealing with both Traveller and non-Traveller issues.
Meanwhile, a grandmother in her 5Os was rushed to hospital again this weekend after taking ill in her caravan. The woman, who suffered from epilepsy and asthma, has been engaged in a long running dispute with Clare County Council in search of accommodation.