Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2026
411. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the full expenditure within her Department in 2025 to tackle inequalities suffered by members of the travelling community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50602/26]
View answerIn 2025, expenditure by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to address inequalities experienced by members of the Traveller community is outlined in the table below. The spending under both subheads supports the objectives of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024–2028, for which the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is the lead department. It should be noted that a small portion of this expenditure also relates to the Roma community; however, it has not been possible to disaggregate this element from the overall figures.
Table: Expenditure by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to address Traveller inequalities
|
Heading |
Details |
2025 Expenditure |
|
Subhead D06 – Traveller and Roma Initiatives |
Funding of Traveller NGOs and delivery of projects |
€5,109,780 |
|
Subhead B08 - Economic and Social Disadvantage Measures (Dormant Accounts Funded) |
Delivery of projects in respect of Traveller community |
€1,445,000 |
|
Total |
|
€6,554,780 |
Other expenditure across the Department is also relevant to the situation of the Traveller community, but much of this can be considered spending on the delivery of services rather than specifically on tackling inequalities.
An additional area of relevant expenditure is Equal Start. This is a funding model and a set of associated universal and targeted measures to support access to, and meaningful participation in, early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) for children and families experiencing disadvantage. Traveller children and families are identified as a priority group under this initiative. Expenditure on Equal Start in 2025 was €14.685 million.
