About us

The National Association of Travellers' Centres (NATC) is a voluntary representative association whose role is vocational, educational, and training. Our main areas of work include:

• Education and Training
  The National Association of Travellers' Centres is the recognised representative body for the 36 Centres of Education and Training nationwide with the Department of Education and Science.
• Youth Service
  NATC is the main provider of Youth Services to young Travellers nationally since 1988. Currently, we fund 24 Youth Service Projects and directly employ or fund 18 Youth workers.
• Voice of the Traveller magazine
  NATC produces and distributes the Voice of the Traveller magazine, a key communications mechanism between the Traveller and settled communities and internally within the Traveller Community.

NATC Membership has direct daily contact with over 1,500 Traveller families nationwide and our experience is based on working on ground level with the Travelling community. NATC is a partnership organisation in which Traveller and settled communities work together in responding to the needs of Travellers.

Mission statement

The National Association of Travellers' Centres recognises the equality of the Traveller Community by providing programmes, initiatives and services that promote the participation and inclusion of the Traveller Community in Irish Society.

Our core values and principles

Our objectives

NATC Structure (PDF document - 1.40MB)

Map of our services

Centre of Education and Training
Youth Project

Funding

The National Association of Travellers' Centres receives funds for the implementation of its work from the following:

• Department of Education & Science
• Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
• Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
• Grants from a variety of statuary and voluntary funding agencies

Representative role

The National Association of Travellers' Centres is represented on the following boards:

• A.C.T.E. – the Advisory Committee on Traveller Education
• The National Traveller Monitoring and Advisory Committee in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
• The National Board of FÁS through the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI)
• National Youthwork Advisory Committee