Sorca Clarke
Question:823. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health for an update on the establishment of the Traveller mental health specialist group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65280/25]
View answerTuesday, 25 November 2025
Questions (823)
Written answers
The Traveller Community are recognised as a priority group in national mental health strategies such as Sharing the Vision and the National Suicide and self-harm Prevention Strategy - Connecting for Life. Travellers experience disproportionately high levels of mental health difficulties and suicide rates. The population health approach that this policy advocates contains universal recommendations that benefit everyone in society but also acknowledges that additional work is required to promote positive mental health and build resilience among specific priority groups deemed to be ‘at risk’.
To address the area of Traveller mental health and the adverse mental health outcomes experienced by members of the Traveller community, I asked the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) for Sharing the Vision to establish a Traveller Mental Health Specialist Group. The specialist group is in the process of being set up with the significant input of the HSE-chaired National Traveller and Roma Mental Health Working Group and representative Traveller mental health organisations.
The proposed lifespan of the Specialist Group will be 12 months, from the January to December 2026. The Specialist Group will be requested to produce a “Traveller Mental Health Action Plan” for enhancing and optimising mental health supports for Travellers, considering the needs and circumstances of the Traveller community, principally aligned with Sharing the Vision and considering interdependent and associated policies and strategies.
The Group will feature representation from the Traveller community, including lived experience representatives and those involved in providing services in the community.