A Traveller rights organisation has called for a Fianna Fáil councillor to be suspended over public comments he made as part of his opposition to local authority plans for the accommodation of a Traveller family in a suburb of Galway city.
Councillor Michael Crowe had called on Galway City Council not to proceed with plans to accommodate members of the Traveller community in a house that it has purchased in Renmore.
The former mayor said Traveller culture was “not conducive” to living with most settled communities, and claimed that “history has proven” it regularly leads to “confrontation and general uneasiness”.
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He instead urged the local authority to expand “the parameters of who this home might be offered to”, stating that “the people I represent don’t want this, I don’t want this, I’m totally against this, I’ll do all I can to stop it.”
“I understand that everybody is entitled to a home and everybody is entitled to be housed, but I do not believe that putting members of the Travelling community into the heart of Renmore is conducive to either the occupants of the house themselves or indeed the local community,” said Mr Crowe.
“I’m not sure too many of the housing officials would like a Traveller family moving in beside them… but yet it’s okay to foist it on other people. And I don’t believe that’s fair,” he added.
Galway Traveller Movement said the comments, which Mr Crowe made on local radio, had “caused huge hurt and upset” to members of the Travelling community, and “brought us back decades in the fight for equality”.
The organisation claimed the remarks would not be tolerated if they had been made about any other ethnic group, and said the councillor had brought his office into disrepute by promoting anti-Traveller rhetoric.
“Councillor Michael Crowe showed little regard for the Travelling community and made statements that in our opinion incite hatred and deny the Travelling community access to adequate protection against discrimination in Irish society.”
It called for Mr Crowe to be “suspended from his duties” pending a full investigation into matter by Galway City Council and Fianna Fáil. “We need to call for accountability from people who hold public office,” it added.
A statement from the organisation signed by joint coordinators, Martin Ward and Margaret Ó Riada, said formal complaints would be made to Fianna Fáil and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
It also said there were “ethical issues” to be answered by the local radio station, Galway Bay FM, and indicated that it would be making a complaint to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
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