Pontins is facing criticism after a report revealed some Irish names were blacklisted and labelled as "undesirable guests".
INews reports that Pontins Holiday Park near Liverpool had a list of 40 Irish names that were not welcome at the park.
The list was uploaded to the Pontins intranet under the heading ‘undesirable guests’
“We have been informed by our operations director that we do not want these guests in our parks,” the notification reads.
“Please watch out for the following names for any future bookings.”
An investigation by the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the park was using the list as part of a “discriminatory booking policy that excluded Gypsies and Travellers.”
A member of the President's Council of State says travelers are being turned away from pubs, hotels and restaurants here on a daily basis.
Dr Sindy Joyce says travellers get a "sick feeling" when they look to book in some establishments and that being turned away "is an every day experience for members of the community".
Dr Joyce said "anti-traveller racism is just so normalised in society. It's not seen as something to be outraged about."
Are the Irish settled community outraged by this? If yes, please now look at Ireland where similar practices are going on all over the country in pubs, hotels, restaurants etc. https://t.co/IVWTVmQzjH
— Dr Sindy Joyce (@SindyLJoyce) March 2, 2021
Government Minister Simon Harris used to go on holiday to Pontins as a child.
He says the revelation has angered and saddened him:
This both angers and saddens me. As a child, my family and I holidayed in Pontins many times. Childhood memories of a happy place and good times all now replaced by a sense of disgust that such prejudice would exist. Had hoped those days were gone https://t.co/JJdHRkIZBp
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 2, 2021
In a tweet, he said "This both angers and saddens me. As a child, my family and I holidayed in Pontins many times. Childhood memories of a happy place and good times all now replaced by a sense of disgust that such prejudice would exist. Had hoped those days were gone."
*With reporting from Michael Staines
