Recommendation 1

Václav Havel once said that the litmus test of a civil society is the way it treats its Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. The Government can do better to protect that way of life and do more to tackle the discrimination that Gypsies, Roma and Travellers continue to face. While a small minority of the travelling community pose challenges for local authorities and law enforcement, the vast majority of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are law-abiding exponents of a centuries-old way of life. The Government must take particular care to ensure that its actions do not exacerbate the discrimination that continues to be faced by the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community.