Would you be comfortable living next to a Traveller?

Would you be comfortable living next to a Traveller? 

It's a question which was posed to over 3,000 people as part of a diversity survey conducted in March and April this year. 

Commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the survey found that although the majority of people are very comfortable living near people with different nationalities, genders, religious beliefs and marital status, a significant percentage of participants reported being uncomfortable living next to certain groups. 

Participants were asked to rate their comfort level living near someone with a certain characteristic, with 1 being 'very uncomfortable' and 10 being 'very comfortable'. 

A score of 8 out of 10 or higher was deemed 'comfortable'. 

The survey found that participants were least comfortable living near a Traveller or Roma person, and people with alcohol addiction issues, drug addiction issues, a criminal record for violence, and a criminal record for selling drugs. 

Fifty three percent of participants reported being comfortable living next to a Traveller or Roma person, with 16% of people 'very uncomfortable' (a score of 1, 2 or 3) having a person from the Traveller or Roma community as a neighbour. 

Just 27% of people reported being comfortable living near someone with drug addiction issues. 

Living near a person with a violent criminal record and a person with a criminal record for selling drugs were the least desirable options, with just 16% and 13% of people reporting comfort with this arrangement. 

The vast majority of participants reported being 'very comfortable' living near Irish people, old people and white people, with average scores of 9.6 out of 10. 

Seventy nine percent of people stated they were comfortable living next to a transgender man or transgender woman, with 78% feeling comfortable living near an asylum seeker and 76% feeling comfortable living near someone with mental health difficulties. 

The study also measured attitudes towards a participant's child being in a love relationship with someone with a certain characteristic. 

Just 43% of participants stated they would be comfortable if their son or daughter was in a relationship with a Traveller person, with 45% comfortable if their child was in a relationship with a Roma person. 

A person with alcohol addiction issues and a person with drug addiction issues were least desirable, with 18% and 12% of people comfortable respectively. 

According to the survey results, the majority of groups (21 out of 32) received a score of 8.1 or higher and over two thirds were comfortable with their child being in a love relationship with that equality group. 

However, 11 groups scored lower than 8 out of 10, including people with intellectual disabilities (7.9), asylum seekers (7.9), Muslim people (7.9), bisexual people (7.7), people with mental health difficulties (7.0), non-binary people (7.0), transgender people (6.9), Roma people (6.4), Travellers (6.3), people with alcohol addiction issues (4.3), and people with drug addiction issues (3.4). 

The final two groups were noted as having a net negative; more people reported being uncomfortable than comfortable having their child in a relationship with these groups. 

Regarding attitudes towards someone with a certain characteristic being in the same class as a participant's child, high levels of acceptance were noted across all categories. 

However, the lowest score (8.5 out of 10) was recorded for a transgender child, with just three quarters of people comfortable with a transgender child in a class with their child. 

Participants were also asked what criteria may put a candidate for a job at a disadvantage compared to someone with equal skills and qualifications. 

Sixty seven percent of respondents agreed that 'being a Traveller' was a disadvantage, followed by disability (65%), being Roma (63%), and age (50%). 

Although the survey deemed Ireland as an overall welcoming and accepting country across a wide range of groups, it noted the "disappointing attitudes" towards members of the Traveling and Roma communities. 

Commenting on the survey results, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said, "The survey provides us with a scientifically robust source of evidence on the current attitudes towards equality and diversity in Ireland. 

"It is encouraging to see that the majority of Irish people welcome those seeking safety from conflict and adversity.

"While the report shows that more work is required by government and the whole of the society on matters of diversity, it also reflects the welcoming attitude of Irish people towards new communities. This survey will inform the development of new equality strategies and action plans."