This report follows the evolution of community development work with the Traveller community from the 1980s to the present day; examines the effect of austerity on the Traveller community in general and the community development work therein specifically; and looks at how community development work with Travellers may best be developed in the future. Four pen portraits of Traveller advocates are included.

The period from the breaking of the economic and social crisis in 2008 has seen a dramatic disinvestment by the state in the Traveller community. Using the government’s own figures, it is possible to identify the scale of the austerity cuts, as follows, but they should be compared to the overall reduction in government current spending of -4.3% over 2008-2013, the baseline.