After a hiatus of over two years due to Covid-19 restrictions the Welfare Rights Section attended 3 Jobs Fairs/Information events in September/October.
The first of these was organised by Galway Rural Development, an INOU affiliate, in the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe. The event, 7/9/22, ran from 10 am to 1 pm and was very well attended with a variety of local groups and organisations taking part. The INOU stand was manned by Gerry McCaughey and Robbie Kelly who were kept busy with queries ranging from back to work supports, Jobseekers/One Parent Family payments etc.
As always, there was a considerable amount of "following up" with the various queries in the subsequent days and weeks after contact details were exchanged.
Next up was a DSP led Job Seekers Training and Employment Opportunities Information event in the Newbridge INTREO Centre, 20/9/22. Job seekers from the Newbridge area were invited to attend and the event was also open to members of the general public.
This was an exceptionally well attended morning and the INOU had staff from the Information Section, Robbert Lynch (Manager) and Information Officers Robbie Kelly, James O'Toole, Gerry McCaughey, and John Farrell (Membership and Development Officer) on hand to deal with the considerable amount of queries/concerns raised by those who visited the stand.
The third event at the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, 7/10/22, was also DSP led. The INOU had 3 Information Officers in attendance, Robbie Kelly, James O'Toole, and Gerry McCaughey.
This again was an invitational event with some 500 invitees attending and the INOU stand was very much a focal point for a broad range of queries covering Jobseekers payments, education and training/back to work supports, HAP/Rent Supplement and how taking up work/further education might impact on welfare benefits generally.
Needless to say, copies of the INOU's flagship publication Working for Work were in high demand at all 3 events with a considerable amount of attendees contacting the section in the days and weeks following on from the initial contacts made.
