In a report released by FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres), meaningful instances of discrimination against Roma women wearing customary attire within retail environments were drawn to attention. Based on ethnicity and gender, this prejudice against Roma women dressed in traditional Roma garments continues to be a major concern.
Over the course of 2023, FLAC’s voluntary legal team held 3,273 consultations and offered pro-bono legal support to 212 individuals, primarily addressing issues in housing, homelessness, equality, discrimination, and social welfare law. Despite receiving over 50,000 calls, the centre’s telephone advice department could only manage 21 per cent.
During 2023, FLAC secured a significant win in Circuit Court for two Roma women who experienced discrimination at a Dunnes Stores supermarket. The court awarded them €4,000 and €2,000 in damages respectively. Furthermore, FLAC’s representation of a homeless Traveller family led to the provision of accommodation following a court case against the local authorities.
Citing it as “depressingly commonplace”, FLAC Chief Executive Eilis Barry expressed concern over the ongoing discrimination against Roma women due to their ethnicity and gender. During the year, FLAC initiated three new cases on behalf of Roma women alleging discrimination in retail environments and continued to support six ongoing cases of similar nature. Four of these ongoing cases involved retailers directly.
FLAC Managing Solicitor, Sinéad Lucey, shed light on the precedent-setting Circuit Court verdict, being the first known ruling of a retail setting discriminating against a Roma person. She also noted that many such cases, supported by FLAC, reach settlements under confidentiality clauses.
FLAC operates legal clinics catering to the Roma, Traveller, and LGBTQI+ communities, where social welfare constitutes a major portion of the concerns voiced in the Roma-focused clinic. Almost all active welfare cases are linked to the habitual residence condition, addressing the need to establish strong ties to Ireland for access to means-tested social welfare payments and child benefits. FLAC has consistently brought attention to the unjust and adverse effects these conditions pose on the Roma community’s ability to obtain basic social welfare payments.
Within the year, FLAC contributed a substantial 42,742 hours of unpaid legal work.