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Tipperary Roma Health Project
Tipperary Roma Health Project (06/ 2022- 06/2025)
Statement of Purpose
The Tipperary Roma Health Project works towards achieving equality of health outcomes for the Roma community through building health literacy; improving access and/or developing health service pathways; supporting access to health information and addressing adverse social determinants of health faced by the Roma community.
Underpinning Values
The Tipperary Roma Health Project is motivated by and aligned with a frame of five interconnected core values that reflect our community development ethos:
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Human Rights, Equality & Anti-Discrimination
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Social Justice
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Participation
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Collectivity
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Community Empowerment
Tipperary Roma Health Project Aims:
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Enhance Roma access to health information and health services.
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Strengthen intercultural approaches among health service providers, and other key services.
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Identify, enable and support action to address negative social determinants for Roma health, in order to improve their health status.
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Support Roma engagement to identify and address their needs and to ensure broader community inclusion, by: building Roma capacity and securing their participation and voice; and supporting group formation and peer-led approaches to Roma issues.
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Ensure Project capacity to monitor and review progress, and ensure the ongoing sustainability of the Project.
Roma population in Ireland
According to Ireland’s 2022 Census, 16,059 people identified as Roma, marking the first time Roma was listed as a separate ethnicity in official statistics. The majority of the Roma population resides in Dublin (6,144) and Cork (1,251).
Roma community experience discrimination, isolation, stress and fear. Adult members of Roma community have a low level of literacy skills and knowledge of the English language. The people have a very limited access to health information and health services. Roma population have a high rates of unemployment, income poverty and child poverty. Roma families live in unsafe, overcrowded and in unsuitable accommodation with a lack of security of tenure.
Roma population in Co. Tipperary
There are 446 Roma People in Co. Tipperary (01/2026). Since April, 2021, inception of TRHP, 226 Roma people left county and in total 672 people identified in Co. Tipperary since the project inception.
Roma Health Project Video
Tipperary Roma Health Project workers:
Sandra Lakaciauskaite – Roma Health Project Co-ordinator (Languages spoken: Lithuanian, Russian, English)
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Phone: +353 87 693 8304
Jelena Zinduliene – Roma Health Project Accommodation Worker (Languages spoken: Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, English)
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Phone: +353 83 857 2578
Helga Lakatosova – Roma Health Project Support Worker (Languages spoken: Slovak, Hungarian, Polish, Roma, English)
Working Hours (can differ):
Monday to Friday 9:30 to 17:00 Evening/ weekend drop–ins available, per request.
History
Roma is the largest minority group in Europe, it is estimated that there are 10 to 12 million Roma across Europe. Roma share a common lineage, their migration over the centuries to many different countries, have produced numerous distinct communities as particular groups established roots in various countries and regions.
Gypsies, Roma, Travellers: An Animated History
Background and context
The Roma community in Ireland consists of persons from Roma communities (ethnic minority group) from a range of European countries including Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic (Czechia). Latest census 2023 recorded 16,000+ Roma in Ireland.
Roma population in 2023:
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South East Ireland: 800 persons in Wexford; 700 persons in Waterford; approx. 140 persons in Carlow;
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Mid-West Ireland: 180-200 persons in Clare;
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274 Roma people in Co. Tipperary.
Roma community experience discrimination, isolation, stress and fear. Adult members of Roma community have a low level of literacy skills and knowledge of the English language. The people have a very limited access to health information and health services. Roma population have a high rates of unemployment, income poverty and child poverty. Roma families live in unsafe, overcrowded and in unsuitable accommodation with a lack of security of tenure.
National policy and frameworks:
National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, 2017- 2021.
Roma in Ireland a National Needs Assessment
Second National Intercultural Health Strategy 2018-2023
Healthy Ireland. A framework for improved health and wellbeing 2013-2025.
Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025
EU policy and Frameworks
EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020-2030.
The 10 Common Basic Principles on Roma Inclusion
Tipperary Roma Health and Accommodation Project 2022 to 2024 (Pilot).
‘Since the establishment of the Tipperary Roma Health Project, in 2021, we have been aware that access to accommodation is the single biggest issue for Roma in Tipperary. We were, therefore, delighted to partner with HSE Social Inclusion Mid-West and HSE Social Inclusion South East, and Tipperary County Council, to undertake this pilot project which focused on Roma in insecure or unsuitable housing. Beginning to work on the theme of Roma accommodation when there are acute issues with housing nationwide coupled with the challenges for local authorities in responding to the accommodation needs of the Ukrainian community and re-settled refugees, presented difficulties.
However, I wish to pay tribute to our colleagues in Tipperary County Council for their enduring commitment to this project and to improving housing outcomes for Roma. This was a demonstration pilot project, funded by the HSE National Social Inclusion Office, which aimed to contribute to the broader goal of the Tipperary Roma Health Project, to improve health outcomes for Roma in County Tipperary. We hope that this report and the accompanying report from the pilot project: ‘A Needs Assessment of the Situation of Roma Living in county Tipperary: Analysis of findings’, will contribute to the knowledge and evidence base in regard to the situation and experience of Roma in Ireland, and that they will inspire interagency structures working to address the needs of Roma throughout the country.’
Donal Kelly, CEO, Youthwork Ireland Tipperary
Roma Health Project’s Aims were:
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To outreach and engage with Roma in Tipperary using a community development approach;
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To map the population, age groups, their nationalities and languages spoken and situations;
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To identify their health and information needs in relation to Covid-19
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To provide Covid-19 information and
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Undertake housing, social welfare, employment advocacy and health advocacy support work such as supporting medical card applications which will assist in supporting Roma engagement.
A Guide to Establishing a Roma Health Project
Tipperary Roma Health Project: External Evaluation Report