Improving health outcomes and quality of life for the Travelling Community in Clare
About the Clare Traveller Primary Health Care Project
The Clare Traveller Primary Health Care Project (PHCP) is delivered by Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) and aims to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of Travellers and their families in County Clare.
The programme is built on a community development model, delivered by Primary Healthcare Workers and Community Link Workers who are themselves members of the Travelling Community. It is peer-led — Travellers helping Travellers — with regular meetings and events promoting practical healthcare initiatives across key areas including cardiovascular health, diabetes, and mental health.
A central goal of the PHCP is to assist in dialogue between Travellers and health service providers, helping to ensure greater uptake of health services across the county.
The Health Gap Is Real — and It Can Be Changed
Irish Travellers experience some of the most severe health inequalities of any community in Ireland. The evidence, drawn from the All-Ireland Traveller Health Study, is stark:
- Life expectancy for Traveller men is 15 years less than the general male population
- Life expectancy for Traveller women is 11.5 years less than the general female population
- Traveller infant mortality is estimated at 14 per 1,000 live births, compared to 3.9 in the general population
- Suicide rates for Traveller men are 7 times higher than the general population; for Traveller women, 5 times higher
- 59.4% of Traveller men report poor mental health on one or more days in the last month, compared to 21.8% of male medical cardholders generally
These are not statistics. They represent real people in Clare — neighbours, families, community members.
The PHCP exists because community-led, peer-delivered healthcare is proven to reach people that mainstream services cannot.
Health Promotion
Running regular health awareness sessions and events on cardiovascular health, diabetes, cancer screening, and mental wellbeing.
Peer-Led Support
Traveller Community Health Workers deliver education, outreach, and support directly to families — people from the community, talking to the community.
Bridging Services
Helping Travellers in Clare access GPs, mental health supports, addiction services, cancer screening programmes, and other health services.
Backed by National Policy
The Clare Traveller PHCP operates within a strong national framework:
The National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022–2027, launched by the HSE and Department of Health, specifically commits to continuing to resource Primary Health Care for Traveller Projects and to expand them where gaps exist. It acknowledges the severe health inequalities Travellers face and prioritises community-led, culturally appropriate responses.
In June 2026, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community published a landmark report with 69 recommendations. It described Ireland’s Traveller health inequality as “not accidental or short-term” and called for radical change, including permanent ringfenced funding, national support for Primary Health Care Projects, and annual parliamentary accountability.
The PHCP model has also been recognised internationally. An Interreg Europe analysis highlights peer-led Primary Healthcare for Travellers as a best-practice model that bridges the gap between Traveller communities and the health system in a culturally appropriate manner.
CLDC
Staff Contact
Brid Brady
PHCP Coordinator
Contact me for inquiries about the Traveller Primary Healthcare Project.
bbrady@cldc.ie
087 104 1848
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