PART 1: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS

Traveller Children

Travellers are particularly disadvantaged in terms of health status and access to health services. They suffer poor health, which compares unfavourably with the settled community 8

Measure

The number of Traveller children.

Key findings

  • In 2006, there were 22,435 Travellers living in Ireland. Of these, 48.7% (10,929) were under 18 years of age (see Table 19).

Table 19: Number of Travellers, by gender and age (2006)

Age Boys Girls Total
0-4 years 1,697 1,615 3,312
5-9 years 1,551 1,478 3,029
10-14 years 1,504 1,456 2,960
15-17 years 791 837 1,628
Total Traveller population - under 18 5,543 5,386 10,929
Total Traveller population - all ages 11,028 11,407 22,435

Source: Census of the Population, CSO

Differences by gender and age
In 2006, Traveller children accounted for 1.1% of children in the 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 age groups living in Ireland; and 0.9% of the 15-17 age group.  

Differences by geographic location
In 2006, more Traveller children lived in Dublin and Galway than in any other county. The counties with the highest proportion of Travellers compared to the total population were Longford (3.2%) and Galway (2.8%) (see Table 20).

Table 20: Number of Travellers aged under 18, by county (2006)

Table 20: Number of Travellers aged under 18, by county (2006)
County No. of Travellers Total population
of county		 % Travellers
within county
Carlow 119 12,668 0.9
Cavan 93 17,127 0.5
Clare 351 28,565 1.2
Cork 628 116,241 0.5
Donegal 171 40,288 0.4
Dublin 2,532 261,101 1.0
Galway 1,572 55,306 2.8
Kerry 285 33,036 0.9
Kildare 234 50,337 0.5
Kilkenny 200 22,882 0.9
Laois 248 18,013 1.4
Leitrim 99 7,133 1.4
Limerick 631 43,507 1.5
Longford 283 8,930 3.2
Louth 177 29,233 0.6
Mayo 504 30,969 1.6
Meath 354 44,621 0.8
Monaghan 86 14,455 0.6
Offaly 330 19,169 1.7
Roscommon 156 14,503 1.1
Sligo 180 14,610 1.2
Tipperary 462 37,931 1.2
Waterford 205 27,009 0.8
Westmeath 299 21,124 1.4
Wexford 507 34,851 1.5
Wicklow 223 32,425 0.7
State 10,929 1,036,034 1.1

Source: Census of the Population, CSO

Technical notes
Figures refer to all people usually resident within the State on Census night in 2006 and present in private and communal establishments.

Travellers are identified as those answering the tick box 'Irish Traveller' to Question 14 of the 2006 Census, which asks 'What is your ethnic or cultural background?'. Data are based on de facto population on Census night rather than the usual residence concept.

Next

8 Department of Health and Children (2002) Traveller Health Strategy. Dublin: The Stationery Office.