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MLRC to host social-welfare law training

This autumn, Mercy Law Resource Centre is set to again run its highly regarded social-welfare law training series, delivered by Professor Gerry Whyte (Adjunct Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin).

The training, which aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of social-welfare law in Ireland, will start on 3 November and run for three weeks, online, Monday and Wednesday mornings, from 10am to 12pm.

The course is ideal for anyone working in advocacy, legal services, or frontline support roles, who regularly assists clients with social-welfare issues.

The training will be delivered by Professor Gerry Whyte, a Public Interest Law and Social Welfare Law professor and also an author of various books on the topic, including ‘Social Inclusion and the Legal System: Public Interest Law in Ireland’, co-authored by Conor Casey.

Whyte has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications on constitutional and public-interest law in Ireland.

Social-welfare topics

The training will cover:

• Sources of social-welfare law, claims and appeals,
• Social insurance and assistance,
• Rates of payment,
• Supplementary welfare allowance,
• Unemployment, illness, and caring supports,
• Family payments, and
• Supports for older people.

MLRC believes this training is valuable for practising solicitors or barristers who specialise in public interest and social-welfare law, and all of those working in the sector.

Previous attendees have included staff and teams from organisations such as Crosscare, Focus Ireland, Ruhuma, IHREC, and the HSE.

The training also provides CPD points.

Cost and sign-up

The training costs €245. To sign up, email events@mercylaw.ie.

MLRC is also running a session on the Fundamentals of Housing Law on 14 October, led by solicitor Adam Boyle.

The training programme covers:

• Background legal principles: tools to get information and avenues of referral if legal issues arise,
• Fair procedures: overview of relevant human-rights law and fair-procedures principles,
• Access to social housing: Overview of legal framework concerning access to social housing and common legal issues arising in practice,
• Emergency homeless accommodation: Overview of legal framework and common legal issues arising in practice,
• Housing Assistance Payment and Homeless HAP – a brief overview of legal framework.

The training will suit:

• Frontline professionals in housing and homelessness services,
• Legal advisors and community advocates,
• NGO workers and policy officers,
• Anyone seeking a clearer understanding of housing rights in practice.

For information on either course, visit Training & Legal Support - Mercy Law.