The Irish Traveller community still faces significant barriers to full equality in Irish society, according to Minister for Equality Roderic O'Gorman who will launch a report this morning on living conditions of Travellers in Ireland.
The European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights, which led the survey, got the views of those who self-identify as Roma or members of the Traveller community in Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.
It published the findings in September.
Today's report shows 10% of Travellers (including children) surveyed reported "going to bed hungry" at least once in the previous month, rising to a fifth in some countries surveyed.
Over 90% of Travellers reported that there is insufficient and inadequate accommodation available, including halting sites.
Ireland had the second highest rate of reported discrimination within the countries surveyed - 68% of men and 62% of women reported experiencing discrimination. This is reflected in the general respondents surveyed with 46% stating they would feel "uncomfortable with Roma and Travellers as neighbours".
Ireland has the second highest rate of Traveller children participating in early childhood education (75%), however, it continues to lag behind that of the general population.
There is a 70% rate of early school leaving among Irish Travellers, compared to 5% for the general population.
Martin Collins, the Co-Director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre in Ireland, said the report provides further evidence pointing to the ongoing exclusion and discrimination that Travellers experience in Irish society.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Collins said Travellers in Ireland have the lowest employment rate out of the six countries surveyed, while 10% reported going to bed hungry in the previous month.
Travellers in Ireland experience the second highest level of discrimination compared to other countries, he said.
"It's a stark reminder of the ongoing exclusion and discrimination that Travellers experience in Irish society," Mr Collins said. "And we hope that the findings of this study will be a wakeup call to our political leaders."
Mr Collins said that at the moment, an estimated 1,300 Traveller families in Ireland are homeless, with almost 600 living in illegal or unauthorised developments.
Another 700 are doubling up with family members in overcrowded conditions, he said.
"€69 million has been left unspent since the year 2000," Mr Collins said. "That is nothing short of shameful that the local authorities are not spending their allocated budget to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers."
Mr Collins said the same approach has been taken for the last 20 years and a new approach is needed.
He urged the Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien to work with Travellers and come up with a more effective solution to the crisis.
Mr O'Brien, speaking on the same programme, said there are "various reasons" why local authorities are not spending all of their allocated budget for Traveller accommodation, including planning reasons and objections.
"I recognise there is a problem, no question", Mr O'Brien said. "Martin is right. The underspend is not something that can be stood over and we want to make sure that changes. We need to deliver good quality accommodation for our Travelling community."
