Upon the proposal of the Vice-President of the Roma Community Council of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Dušica Balažek, the Human Rights Ombudsman of the RS (the Ombudsman) has examined the living conditions in the Roma settlement Dobruška vas in the Škocjan municipality today, on 21 March 2011.

Before examining the Roma settlement, the Deputy Ombudsman Jernej Rovšek and his colleague visited the mayor of the Škocjan municipality to acquire some information on the conditions in the Roma settlement Dobruška vas and on the short-term and long-term plans of the municipality regarding this matter.

Fourteen days ago, the municipality executed its first measure by organizing an extensive disposal of waste. As the project revealed a rodent problem, rat extermination measures will therefore also be performed shortly. The mayor sees a short-term solution for the water supply in collecting rainwater, regulating wells and supplying water in cisterns. As per the latter, he will attempt to get assistance from other authorities. In the longer run, the mayor wishes to legalize the settlement and thus fulfil the precondition for ensuring municipal utility services. He intends to consult on that matter with municipalities that have already realized such projects.

The Ombudsman examined the conditions in the Roma settlement and found the living conditions to be of such an extremely low level as to seriously endanger the lives and health of the people there, especially children. Such alarming living conditions are primarily due to the fact that most of the residents of this settlement lack access to drinking water. Health care and protection from spreading diseases are basic rights and a fundamental condition for dignified living. The Ombudsman will, therefore, propose a short-term solution to the mayor and the competent authorities to immediately provide the supply of drinking water for the sake of the lives and health of the residents.

In the following days, the Ombudsman will address inquiries and proposals to competent national and local authorities. She thereby establishes that, as in this case as well as in some others, the responsibility for solving problems has too often been transposed between national and local community bodies. The Ombudsman has proposed on more than one occasion that municipalities find a way of tackling such problems and that the State (co)finance such projects. The latter most definitely should not burden only the municipalities simply in order to preserve the symbiosis within municipalities.