Solving the Traveller problem

Ares · 06-05-2012 9:14pm #1

Its quite clear that Travellers have not integrated particularly well into society and nor do they seem to want to do so. This has become particularly apparent at college where I've seen people from every walk of life, culture and creed attend university with the exception of Irish travellers. Well I've stumbled upon a solution.

First off I would clear the good people of the Aran islands, Inisbofin, Clear Island and whichever other islands that have some sort of an infrastructure and centralise them across the country in groups of maybe 50 or so, sorting them out with a house and a job. This would centralise the Irish language hopefully leading to more of a spread while also leaving the Aran Islands (+all other islands) vacant.

Why leave the Aran Islands vacant I hear you ask?

Well I would use them to solve the traveller problem. Interviews and checks would be done on everyone who considers themselves a traveller in Ireland. There will be an arbitary decision made, which will for all intents and purposes be fair. For example, if you're name is Joe McDonagh and you've 15 criminal convictions then I'm afraid you're off to the islands my good friend. If you're name is JJ Joyce and you've say worked on the sites all your life and mind your own business and being a functional member of society then you can stay and the government will actively help you. You can choose to go to the islands if you wish or you can stay.

There are 22,000 travellers in Ireland as pper 2006 census, probably another 1-1500 since. So we'll say 23,500. I don't believe for a second that they are all bad eggs. In fact from working in a bar that served travellers I'd say that about 50% were good eggs and 50% bad eggs. So the islands will need to hold maybe 12,000. It can definitely be done. The good thing about having different islands is that fueding families could be kept apart, different families put on different islands.

I wouldn't want to kill anyone and to do so would be barbaric. However its quite clear that Irish travellers are not mixing with society and wish to maintain there culture and beliefs. No problem whatsoever. By putting them away from mainland they can practice their culture as they see fit without intereing or interference from society.

And look it if they felt the need to 'travel' they could always just move on to another island. There isn't a shortage of them...

Now this isn't a traveller bashing thread and nor do I wish it to be so. This idea could be implemented for multiple criminal reoffenders. Whatever other groups are deemed not contributing to society.

Now before anyone goes crazy, a very similar idea was proposed for the Jews and implemented post world war as they were moved to modern day Israel, while Madagascar was the inital destination.

TL;DR Move gaeltachts away from the islands, have a vetting process and good travellers stay on the mainland while bad travellers move to the islands. Society keeps the good ones and the bad ones move on to a seperate location.