News
The "It Makes Sense Loan"
National Traveller MABS welcomes the government initiative to address the lack of access to affordable loans for social welfare recipients. The "It Makes Sense loans" have been available in 30 credit unions, on a pilot basis but are now being rolled our nationally and will, it is hoped be available in all credit unions in Ireland.
Read more: The "It Makes Sense Loan"National Traveller MABS Pre Budget Submission 2017
The key elements of our 2017 pre-budget submission aim to alleviate the difficulty that Travellers have in securing safe and habitable accommodation. We prioritise three specific areas that we call on the relevant government departments to consider: Traveller Specific Accommodation, Ethnic Recognition and Access to Affordable Savings and Credit To read more on this please click here.
National Traveller MABS Newsletters
Our latest editions of both The Thaire Times and National Traveller MABS Newsletter are now available for you to read. Both these issues are bursting with information as we take you with us on our recent events, campaigns and also the reports that we produced in 2016. Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page for regular updates and fresh news!!
Get Savings Campaign
Travellers, like everyone, need to have access to affordable credit. Affordable loans are an important tool in ensuring that people do not end up in spiralling debt. We at National Traveller MABS are actively encouraging young Travellers to save in our Get Saving Campaign.
Read more: Get Savings CampaignIreland in Breach in Practice and in Legislation of Traveller's Housing, Accommodation and Eviction Rights
The European Committee of Social Rights has found Ireland to be in breachin practice and in legislation of Traveller's housing, accommodation and eviction rights.
Read more: Ireland in Breach in Practice and in Legislation of Traveller's Housing, Accommodation and...National Traveller MABS Key Worker Evaluation Report” Launched to Improve Access to Financial Services for Travellers
A report evaluating a programme aimed at improving Travellers’ access to financial services was launched on Monday, April 25th by the National Traveller Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).
The Key Worker Programme, saw 35 Primary Health Care Workers in 6 regions of Ireland, promote the use of MABS, the CIS and other finance related service providers in their daily role as Traveller Community Health Care Workers within the community.
Read more: National Traveller MABS Key Worker Evaluation Report” Launched to Improve Access to Financial...National Traveller MABS Key Worker Programme
The National Traveller MABS led Key Worker Programme operates in 6 locations in Ireland. It is comprised of a number of local Key Worker Projects. Each local Key Worker project is managed and run voluntarily by the local Primary Health Care for Traveller Project.
Read more: National Traveller MABS Key Worker ProgrammeJoint Statement for National Traveller Organisations and Local Traveller Projects
National and Local Traveller Organisations suspended our participation within the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee and Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees in November 2015.
Read more: Joint Statement for National Traveller Organisations and Local Traveller ProjectsNational Traveller MABS Newsletters
Our latest editions of both The Thaire Times and National Traveller MABS Newsletter are now available for you to read. Both these issues are bursting with information as we take you with us on our recent events, campaigns and also the reports that we produced in 2015. Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page for regular updates and fresh news!!
Rathkeale Travellers Welcome New Credit Union Emergency Loans.
At this time of year many people are looking forward to the festivities, and many more are also worrying about money matters. At an event on Tuesday 1st December in Rathkeale Youth Space about forty men and women heard Yvonne Bogdanovic, Coordinator of Limerick MABS, describe how money worries and not talking about them can lead to ill-health.
Read more: Rathkeale Travellers Welcome New Credit Union Emergency Loans.National Traveller MABS Media Coverage!!
We are delighted with the media coverage that we received following our ten year celebration on September 28th at the Irish Film Centre in Dublin’s Temple Bar.
At the celebration, we highlighted the challenges faced by Travellers in accessing mainstream financial services and showcased what Travellers are doing to overcome this. We called on government to implement a number of measures to tackle financial exclusion amongst low-income groups.
Read more: National Traveller MABS Media Coverage!!Budget 2016
Budget 2016 was announced on 13 October 2015. The main Budget changes that may affect people living in Ireland are set out below.
Read more: Budget 2016Staff at National Traveller MABS laid a wreath at the site of the Carrickmines fire tragedy in memory of the deceased.
Ireland woke up to heart wrenching news on Saturday morning, October 10th, that 10 people, 5 adults and 5 children lost their lives in a fire on Glena muck Halting Site in south Dublin.
Yesterday National Traveller MABS laid a wreath at the site and visited Southside Travellers Action group to offer condolences.
Read more: Staff at National Traveller MABS laid a wreath at the site of the Carrickmines fire tragedy in...‘Three Small Changes’ Campaign Launched to Improve Access to Financial Services for Travellers
The National Traveller MABS campaign aimed at improving Travellers access to financial services was launched on September 28th 2015. The campaign, ‘Three Small Changes’ uses real-life stories to showcase positive steps Travellers and service-providers can take to promote better money management.
Read more: ‘Three Small Changes’ Campaign Launched to Improve Access to Financial Services for Travellers2014 Annual report
The National Traveller MABS Annual report for 2014 was launched on September 28th at the Irish Film Institute.
The report clearly highlights our journey in 2014, detailing the work we undertook. It also lays out our future commitment to addressing the issue of financial exclusion within the Traveller community.
Read more: 2014 Annual reportFindings of “National Traveller MABS Supported Caravan Loan Guarantee Scheme”
The National Traveller MABS Caravan Loan Guarantee Scheme was designed to enable Travellers to access loans at reasonable rates from their local credit union for the upgrade, repair or replacement of a caravan that served as a family home.
Read more: Findings of “National Traveller MABS Supported Caravan Loan Guarantee Scheme”National Traveller MABS Annual Report 2014
National Traveller MABS will be launching our 2014 Annual report on Monday September 28th at the Irish Film Institute in Eustace Street Dublin. Please follow link to view this report. [PDF 1996KB]
The Vincentian Partnerships (VPSJ’s) Minimum Income Standard Calculator Website is Back Online.
The Minimum Income Standard calculator uses the latest 2015 expenditure and income data to calculate the minimum income households in Ireland required to afford a socially acceptable minimum standard of living.
Read more: The Vincentian Partnerships (VPSJ’s) Minimum Income Standard Calculator Website is Back Online.National Traveller MABS Submission on Revised Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy
The Department of Justice is currently revising Ireland's Traveller and Roma inclusion Strategy.
Read more: National Traveller MABS Submission on Revised Traveller and Roma Inclusion StrategyNational Traveller MABS Pre Budget Submission 2016
In this submission we are requesting that the Government not forget the Traveller community in the upcoming budget.
Read more: National Traveller MABS Pre Budget Submission 2016Update on Affordable Credit
National Traveller MABS welcomes the news that the Department of Social Protection is supporting the introduction of "Low Cost Loans" for people at risk of becoming indebted to moneylenders.
Read more: Update on Affordable CreditNational Traveller MABS Newsletters
Our latestest edition of The Thaire Tmes and NTMABS Newsletter is now available for you to read. Please visit our Facbook page for more updates and news!!
One-Parent Family Payment Reforms Update On Changes May 2015
Procedures have been agreed to ensure that all One-parent Family Payment (OFP) recipients who are participating in training or education when their entitlement to the OFP payment ends will be able to complete their course with income support, subject to normal scheme conditions.
Read more: One-Parent Family Payment Reforms Update On Changes May 2015Three Small Changes Programme
National Traveller MABS is a leading advocate for the financial inclusion of Travellers in Ireland.
Read more: Three Small Changes ProgrammeWorried About Debt! Contact MABS
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is concerned that there is an increasing number of people in debt attending court who have no legal representative to support them. Many have never had any dealings with the legal process, are intimidated by it and are often fearful and confused.
Read more: Worried About Debt! Contact MABSRecoupment of Social Welfare Overpayments
Overpayments of social welfare can arise due to a range of reasons such as administrative errors on behalf of Department of Social Protection, genuine misunderstanding on behalf of recipients and fraud.
Read more: Recoupment of Social Welfare OverpaymentsMABS Assisted 300,000 people during the financial crisis.
MABS, the State’s response to helping those in debt, has assisted 291,486 people with their financial difficulties since 2009.
Read more: MABS Assisted 300,000 people during the financial crisis.Ethnic Monitoring
Ethnic monitoring is the proactive gathering and use of data by service providers to ensure that a services offered can reasonably accommodate the specific needs of users from different ethnic groups and that services does not discriminate against those groups.
Read more: Ethnic MonitoringTraveller Youth Forum
National Traveller MABS were delighted to host a Traveller Youth Forum in Croke Park on December 10th, 2014. The forum was attended by over 40 young Travellers from around Ireland.
Read more: Traveller Youth ForumNTMABS Newsletters
The latest editions of both our newsletters are available. The Tharie Times inform MABS and CIS staff of issues pertaining to the Traveller community. The National Traveller MABS Newsletter informs the Traveller community of issues relating to personal finance.
Read more: NTMABS Newsletters