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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

The Department of Justice is currently revising Ireland's Traveller and Roma inclusion Strategy.

In this submission we are requesting that the Government not forget the Traveller community in the upcoming budget.

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.

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!!

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.