Wicklow Traveller Primary Health Care Project

22/01/2026

22/01/2026

Find out more

22/01/2026

The Dept of Health with support from National Su***de Research Foundation and Exchange House Ireland are looking for members of the Traveller community with lived experience of mental health to be a member of a group to help create a Traveller Mental Health Action Plan.

Lived experience could involve your own experience of mental health difficulties or supporting a family member or friend through mental health challenges.

If this is something you think you might be interested in then get in touch with John O'Brien House on 0873770050 or email john.obrien@exchangehouse.ie . Or you can apply to join directly by filling in this link.

https://ucc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cTJ3L6O1SFWDNzg

22/01/2026

Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus have expressions of interest open for their 2026 Apprenticeship Programme. They are encouraging Travellers to apply for their programme.

To ensure you don't miss out on this exciting opportunity- please fill out the expression of interest form before the 28th February 11pm. TAIP can support you through the application process. Please get in touch with one of the team.
Pat Stokes, 0857124417, apprenticeship@itmtrav.ie
Rossa Gilsenan, 0858280708, rossa@itmtrav.ie
Irish Traveller Movement
https://careers.buseireann.ie/job/career-built-around-you-register-your-interest-in-our-apprenticeship-programme-2026

22/01/2026

21/01/2026

21/01/2026

Have you signed up for our new programme yet? ComMUniversity is a FREE 21 week programme that we are running in partnership with Maynooth University , SETU Carlow and Enniscorthy Library .

The course is only 2.5 hours a week, with no exams or essays, just the opportunity to learn.

If you'd like to know more, sign up or get in touch:

📆Taster Session: Thursday 29th January 2026, 10:30am - 12:30pm
📍Location: Enniscorthy Library, Y21AD92
📞Sign up: Call / Text Donna on 087 7181340
📲or use the QR Code or Link: https://forms.office.com/e/4AHmXNc2K0

21/01/2026

Today marks a significant milestone for the Traveller community in Ireland, where 13 Travellers will graduate with Masters and Graduate diplomas at the University of Limerick. This represents the largest of group of Travellers to be conferred with Level 9 postgraduate qualification from any Irish university at any one time

To mark the occasion both Dr Sindy and Olive O'Reilly spoke to Morning Ireland about what it means for Irish Travellers.

Dr Joyce was the first Traveller to graduate with a PhD in Ireland in 2019, and is programme Director at UL for the MA in Sociology, (specialising in youth, community, and social regeneration). She spoke of how state education has shifted for Travellers: "Our education system [...] was once so harmful to the Traveller community, and it now has become a tool of resistance. [...] historically [...] the Irish education system [...] was more about changing our culture or leaving our identity behind us. But what today highlights for me is that our culture is not in conflict with the education system and the Traveller voices and knowledge belong in our university spaces".

Questioned whether today's graduation marks an exception within the Travelling community - where fewer than 5% of Travellers have a third level qualification - and if change is happening fast enough, Dr Joyce affirmed that change is coming from within the community. She sees a community that is showing mentorship and flexible learning in returning to university.

On specific changes required, Dr Joyce stated: "The supports need to be there to begin with. So, even if we look at our younger generation and we look at the children going to primary school and secondary school, still at the moment we don't have Traveller history, culture, or identity on the curriculum, which is a barrier for higher education in the future for our young Travellers.

So, there's lots of supports there that need to be done and particularly scholarships for full-time courses, both BA and postgraduate courses, for the community."

Olive O'Reilly, one of today's graduates and a worker with the Limerick Traveller Network, also spoke of transformations in the community: "It's a day that we can be very proud of. This has never happened before: not for any Traveller organisation and not in UL's history. So I suppose, coming from that, it's a great achievement for the Limerick Traveller Network. It shows you what can happen when Travellers come together and really get a chance of making changes".

Asked what she would say to Travellers thinking of going into education, or going back to education, Olive offered: "Life is changing for everybody, it's changing for the Travelling community as well, and the way forward is education. I think education will open up doors for Travellers".

Listen back to the interviews here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22576473/

Photo credit: RTÉ

19/01/2026

💗 What is Cervical Cancer? 💗
Cervical cancer is a cancer that affects the cervix, which is the lower part of a woman’s womb (the opening to the va**na). It develops slowly and is often caused by a common virus called HPV (Human Papillomavirus).

🛡️ How Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?

The good news is that cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers.
✅ Get regular smear tests – These check for changes in the cervix before cancer develops.
✅ Attend screening appointments – Early detection can save lives.
✅ Practice safe health habits – Looking after your overall health matters.

💉 Why Are Vaccines Important?

The HPV vaccine protects against the main types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
It works best when given at a young age, but it can still help later in life.
🌟 The benefits of the HPV vaccine:
• Reduces the risk of cervical cancer
• Protects future health
• Safely used worldwide
• Helps protect communities, not just individuals

19/01/2026

Today marks the beginning of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, and we at Pavee Point are encouraging all Traveller and Roma women to attend cervical cancer screening.

Our Primary Health Care Workers continue to work closely with the community and successfully increasing the uptake of cancer screenings: guiding women in terms of cancer symptoms and the benefits of screenings for cancer prevention. Over 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in Ireland, and it is the most common cancer in women under 35. While cancer remains one of the main causes of Traveller deaths, screenings are the most effective way to catch early symptoms and increase the likelihood of positive health outcomes.

Pavee Points’s most recent research with UCD and the HSE National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) regarding invitation and attendance at cervical screenings shows that 74% of the eligible Traveller population (25-64) surveyed received an invite to screenings, with 88% of those invitees attending screenings. While this uptake is encouraging, certain barriers remain in relation to embarrassment, fear of results, and issues with communication.

We encourage all women aged 25 to 65 to register for a cervical screening through Cervical Check at https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/getting-a-test/register/ or by calling freephone: 1800 45 45 55.

Read Pavee Point’s guide to Cervical Cancer here (written in conjunction with the The Marie Keating Foundation) :https://www.paveepoint.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cervical-Cancer.pdf

15/01/2026

This Thursday at 6pm there is an online information session hosted by TU Dublin (TUD) about their Access Foundation Programme (TU699) — a one‑year, full‑time course designed to prepare students both personally and academically for entry into undergraduate programmes at TU Dublin.

The session will provide an overview of the programme, entry requirements, progression routes, and support available to learners. It offers an opportunity for prospective students to ask specific questions and learn more about the support the programme offers.

Students will be provided with information on:
- The purpose and structure of the Access Foundation Programme
- Entry requirements and application process
- Supports available to Access students
- Pathways into undergraduate study at TU Dublin

TU Dublin – Access Foundation Programme (TU699) Webinar

Date: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Time: 18:00pm–19:00pm
Format: Live online webinar
Audience: Mature Students, Leaving Cert Students, Young Adults, Parents & Guardians

Registration link: https://www.tudublin.ie/study/undergraduate/cao/open-days-events/webinars/

15/01/2026

Would you like to sample real University Courses, with genuine University Lecturers but without the pressure of sitting exams, doing essays or committing to fulltime?

We are delighted to launch ComMUniversities, a FREE 21 week programme that we are running in partnership with Maynooth University, SETU Carlow and Enniscorthy Library. For just 2.5 hours a week, you can dip your toe and your interest into learning.

📆Taster Session: Thursday 29th January 2026, 10:30am - 12:30pm

📍Location: Enniscorthy Library, Y21AD92

📞Sign up: Call / Text Donna on 087 7181340

📲or use the QR Code or Link: https://forms.office.com/e/4AHmXNc2K0