Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Under the Order of Business I usually raise two or three commitments of promised legislation or programme for Government commitments. Today I just want to raise one issue but I want to do it in some detail because of the seriousness of the situation.

Does it concern promised legislation?

Yes, it is around a programme for Government commitment to deliver on principles of social inclusion for the Traveller community and a commitment by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with responsibility for equality, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, that Traveller ethnicity would be a reality. He rightly said this did not need legislation or a referendum, and his commitment came after the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality recommended that we recognise Travellers as an ethnic community. This is supported by the UN and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC.

I set out that stall in light of the evictions of families from the Traveller community in Dundalk, which runs contrary to the Government commitment. This process of evicting Traveller families from a halting site-----

Deputy, you are stretching it. The eviction of Travellers from anywhere in the country is a very serious matter but it does not belong on the Order of Business.

I did try to get a Topical Issue matter on this issue.

If you put the issue down for tomorrow, I will consider it. Please do not raise it on the Order of Business. If I allow you in, I have to allow everybody else in on issues like that.