A new Traveller and Roma employment support pilot across east Limerick and north Cork will be delivered by Ballyhoura Development CLG, as part of the national expansion of the Traveller and Roma Local Employment Initiative (TRLEI).
Commencing in September 2026, the four-month pilot will provide targeted, culturally appropriate employment, education, training and enterprise supports to members of the Traveller and Roma community across the Ballyhoura region.
The service will be primarily based at Coote Hall Resource Centre in Kilmallock, with flexible outreach available across east Limerick and north Cork through Ballyhoura Development’s existing offices and community-based locations.
A dedicated Employment Officer will work directly with individuals, providing one-to-one career coaching and mentoring, job search and interview preparation, progression planning, access to education and training opportunities, enterprise supports, advocacy, signposting and referrals to other relevant services.
Working alongside the Employment Officer will be a Community Engagement Officer who is a member of the Traveller community. This role will have a particular focus on outreach, engagement and trust-building with Traveller and Roma individuals and families.
By bringing lived experience and community knowledge to the service, the Community Engagement Officer will help ensure that supports are accessible, culturally appropriate and responsive to the needs of the Traveller and Roma community.
DEVELOPING PATHWAYS TO CAREERS
Ballyhoura Development has an established history of working with Traveller communities in east Limerick through the East Limerick Traveller Project and East Limerick Traveller Primary Healthcare Team, through which seven Traveller peer workers are currently employed.
This existing community presence, together with Ballyhoura Development’s wider employment, training, enterprise and community development services, will provide an important foundation for the new pilot.
Welcoming the announcement, Eileen O’Keeffe, development manager with Ballyhoura Development, said that the pilot provides an important opportunity to build on the relationships developed with Traveller communities over many years and ‘to bring a specific employment focus to that work.’
“We know that access to employment is rarely about simply matching somebody with a vacancy. Barriers around education, confidence, transport, discrimination and access to services can all affect a person’s progression. Our approach will be to work with each individual, understand where they want to go and provide the practical support and advocacy needed to help them get there,” she said.
“The Ballyhoura region spans east Limerick and north Cork, and people live, work and access services across those county boundaries every day. The outreach model for this pilot will reflect that reality and allow us to bring the service closer to the communities we work with.”
The pilot will work to strengthen pathways into existing employment and progression opportunities, including Community Employment, Tús, the Rural Social Scheme, further education and training, apprenticeships, employment, enterprise and social enterprise.
A particular emphasis will be placed on direct community engagement and developing trusted progression pathways. The pilot will also explore opportunities to promote employment and career aspirations among younger members of the Traveller community and strengthen relationships with local employers, education and training providers and other relevant services.
The initiative forms part of the national expansion of the Traveller and Roma Local Employment Initiative, announced by Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD.
The national expansion aims to strengthen access to employment supports for Traveller and Roma communities through locally delivered services that recognise the particular barriers individuals may experience in accessing employment, training and progression opportunities.
Further information on the new Ballyhoura Development service, including details on how individuals can access the support or be referred to the service, will be available ahead of the pilot commencing in September 2026.
