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 NewslettersLough Payment Scheme
National Traveller MABS have been delighted with the response from politicians on our position paper on the ending of the Lough Payment Scheme.
Read more: Lough Payment SchemeClare Focus Week
National Traveller MABS were delighted to showcase their work during Clare Traveller Focus week in Ennis in November 2014. We hosted a stand during an event to celebrate Traveller culture and achievements. The event celebrated the achievements of Travellers locally with renowned singer Mary Keenan entertaining the crowd.
Read more: Clare Focus WeekUpdate on Lough Payment Scheme
As many of you are aware, there was a decision early this year to end the Lough Payment Scheme. The scheme is an extension of the Household Budget Scheme and operates for MABS clients.
Read more: Update on Lough Payment SchemeAll Youth are most welcome to National Traveller MABS Youth Forum
Croke Park
Wednesday 10th December
We are on Facebook
We are delighted to announce that we are now on facebook please click here to follow NTMABS.
Budget 2015
Was announced on 14 October 2014. The main changes that may affect members of the Traveller community are set out below. This is not a complete statement of the measures announced in Budget 2015.
Read more: Budget 2015News on Water Charges
As we are aware, the controversy with Irish Water continues. The latest update, due to change with the expected announcement by government, is that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) agreed to extend the application deadline for all to 30th November 2014.
Read more: News on Water ChargesRent Allowance
During July and August 2014, Citizens Information Service recorded that the main areas of concern for clients were Supplementary Welfare Schemes (12%). 65% of clients presenting with Supplementary Welfare Schemes issues were concerned with Rent Supplement.
Read more: Rent AllowanceJobs Week
Jobs Week is a series of jobseeker and employer events which will take place across the country from Monday 29th September to Friday 3rd October.
Read more: Jobs Week