Pavee Point welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the draft “Clean Air Strategy for Ireland: Geographies of Waste Assignment, QUB, Ireland

Pavee Point welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the draft “Clean Air Strategy for Ireland”. As minority ethnic groups, Travellers and Roma are among the most marginalized and excluded individuals and groups in Ireland. They experience stark health inequalities, poor accommodation conditions, poverty, low educational attainment and literacy levels, high levels of unemployment and intersectional forms of discrimination and racism.

Air pollution impacts Travellers and Roma more than the general population for several reasons, including the accommodation they have access to, the healthcare they can access, and their higher rate of respiratory illnesses.
Indeed, a report from the European Environment Agency demonstrated that air pollution impacts are unevenly distributed across groups in Europe.

In addition to minority ethnic groups, the elderly, children, and those of lower socioeconomic status are more affected by air pollution. Children are uniquely vulnerable to air pollution, particularly traffic-related air pollution near schools because of engine idling. Ireland’s EPA notes that: “People of lower socio-economic status tend to be disproportionately exposed to environmental pollution, and this may be exacerbated in the future without appropriate policies to protect those most vulnerable in our society.”

Pavee Point is also aware of the escalating issue of energy poverty in Ireland. Between December 2020 and December 2021, the cost of electricity rose by 22.4% and gas by 27.7%. Energy costs are now 34% higher than in December 2016. Fuel poverty is a common issue among Travellers, as they are largely dependent on traditional sources of fuel, such as turf, wood, and bottled gas to heat their homes.

Air quality, then, is not only a matter of environment and health quality but of economic and housing justice. In fact, a 2019 report by Traveller MABS revealed that Traveller families in trailers spend on average between 26.1% (median) and 28% (mean) of their income on energy, which is six times higher than the corresponding figure of 4.6% of the population.