Press Release: Thursday 20 March 2025
Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy announces €500,000 funding for HSE Traveller child health initiatives
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD has today announced €500,000 in recurring funding for improving Traveller child health.
The allocation will be provided for new projects in two of the six HSE health regions to deliver the HSE Brighter Beginnings Pilot Project for Traveller Children.
The additional funding for Traveller child health aligns with the Government’s Child Poverty and Wellbeing Programme and fulfils a commitment under Goal 2 of the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027 which sets out to ‘Improve Travellers’ equality of access, participation and outcomes in mainstream health services through a human rights-based approach’.
The funded projects will be implemented with the support of the HSE National Healthy Childhood Programme. This is Ireland’s universal programme of clinical care for all children to support them and their parents from birth, ensuring children are offered routine health interventions to stay well.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
“Every child has the right to timely access to quality healthcare that is appropriate to their needs. Too often, Traveller children remain on the fringes when it comes to engaging with essential services. They experience poverty and social exclusion, leading to poorer health outcomes. We are working to change this by providing equitable services.“This is being achieved through the National Traveller Health Action Plan which has so far been supported by €4 million in additional funding.
“The funding I’m announcing today enables us to take another step forward. It will facilitate projects that support Traveller children and their families, identifying and addressing barriers so that they can access important services such as newborn and child health screening programmes, childhood vaccinations and developmental checks.”
The pilot projects will operate in two HSE health regions for a period of three years. Following an evaluation, they may be extended across all six health regions.
Integrated Healthcare Area Manager, HSE Dublin South and Wicklow, Aisling Heffernan said:
“As Chair of the National Traveller Health Implementation Group, I welcome the funding announced to support Traveller children in accessing HSE services to improve their overall health outcomes. Travellers face significant health inequalities compared with the general population, with the rate of Traveller infant deaths three and a half times that of the general population.
“The Traveller Brighter Beginnings is a Department of Health, HSE and Traveller partnership initiative that will enable the provision of culturally safe and inclusive child health services for Traveller children and their parents with the support of Traveller Primary Healthcare for Traveller Projects, building on the already strong implementation work of the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027.”