Traveller Supports
Traveller Support Programme
Travellers are one of the most marginalised groups in Irish Society. Life expectancy is 15 years less for Traveller men and 12 years less for Traveller women than those in the general population. Census 2011 showed that 55% of Travellers leave school before the age of 15; only 1% of Travellers attain a third level qualification (All Ireland Health Study, 2010).
Leitrim Development Company provides support to the Traveller Community in the following ways:
- Manages the Shannonside Community Childcare Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon.
- A Traveller Primary Health Care Project employs four part time Community Health Workers who do a variety of health promotion work.
- Support is provided to the Leitrim Travellers' Development Group, an independent group set up in 2013.
- A FETAC Level 4 childcare course is run for 12 Traveller women in Carrick-on-Shannon.
- Childcare is provided to facilitate the women on this course.
- An After School Programme is run for primary and secondary school children.
- A Pre School is also provided in Carrick-on-Shannon.
- Support to individual Travellers in a variety of areas is an ongoing to part of the work.
