A bereavement is one of the worst things a family will endure. Sometimes making advanced arrangements can comfort a very ill person as they will have a sense of peace knowing that arrangements are financially and legally in place.

Rents are rising in double digits and are now higher than at the height of the Celtic Tiger, with “disastrous” consequences for renters, communities, and the country’s competitiveness.

The eight annual Exchange House Educational Achievement Awards took place in The Venue, in Dublin City Council on Friday the 14th October. The Exchange House National Educational Achievement Awards are presented to Travellers who have recently completed the Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, GCSE, A-Level examinations or Third Level Courses.

Budget 2017 was announced today, October 11th 2016.

Overall National Traveller MABS welcomes the increased funding for Traveller accommodation and the additional resources that are to be invested in homelessness, healthcare and education. However we are very disappointed that there has not been a targeted approach in tackling both the causes and impacts of homelessness and the failure to date in providing appropriate Traveller specific accommodation.

Budget 2017 was announced today, October 11th 2016.

To help you identify how Budget 2017 may impact on you, National Traveller MABS have summarised some of the changes below. Some of the changes come into effect immediately. Others take effect in 2017.

Our annual report 2015 is now available for you to read. Last year was a big year for us as we celebrated our 10th anniversary along with launching a media campaign to promote youth savings. Please click here to read more.

National Traveller MABS welcomes the audit into fire safety in Traveller specific accommodation entitled, ‘Report on Programme to Review and Enhance Fire Safety in Local Authority Provided Traveller Accommodation’. Published on September 22nd 2016, the review was carried out by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM).

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

National and Local Traveller Organisations suspended our participation within the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee and Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees in November 2015.

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!!

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.

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.

Budget 2016 was announced on 13 October 2015. The main Budget changes that may affect people living in Ireland are set out below.

Ireland woke up to heart wrenching news on Saturday morning, October 10^th, 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.