Those Critical Underspends in Health and Education

national | rights and freedoms | opinion/analysis

Thursday November 29, 2007 11:13

by C Murray

Unfair and Inequitable Systems in Two Government Departments.

Two Government Departments mandated with taking care of the well-being of our kids
have been shown to display two-tier policy which favours the wealthy and ghettoises the
poor. No surprises there except that both are run by experienced and rather limited
women politicians; Mary Hanafin and Mary Harney. This year 2007 saw severe criticism
by anti-poverty groups of both departments in the wake of published OECD reports.
Ms Hanafin's department had a critical underspend which favours the private school
sector and Ms Harney's Department published a 2005 report criticising cancer care
without an operating link to the report in toto. http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84946

Small protests have occurred outside the Dail on cut-backs in funding for language immersion
programmes in Gaelscoils, whilst at one and the same time Ms Hanafin had cut the capitation
grants for Traveller's education leading to Manistreaming of the Kids. This season Ms Hanafin
had also stopped benefitting private schools with departmental funds, probably after it
became obvious that the critical underspend in building programmes was leading to a very
obvious run-down in the State School sector where basic hygeine and facilities in some
areas are amongst the lowest in Europe. I say this as a parent who is aware that many
kids I know cannot afford the 80 Euros fee for books and their peers are paying upwards
3,000 Euros for the privilege of an Irish education. There has been a complete lack of creative
forward planning in the Dept of Education that seems to undervalue natural ability in favour
of mainstreaming and preparing kids for the 'Knowledge Economy'

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84271

Fetac schemes are available to some kids who do not wish the academic route, with
little in the way of provisioning in apprenticeship schemes or learning supports at second level
for kids with intellectual disability: Resource Teaching is limited to one half hour per week
and educational psych tests are not correctly budgeted with many kids dropping out
or falling behind because of lack of supports. Not one Minister For education in ten
years has attended a Dyslexia Conference and principals are advising parents to contact
the Support groups to get educational psychological assessments. There are huge waiting
lists and tests can cost upward of 300 euros- without the tests kids to not get supports, exam time,
separate rooms and IT support.

Health:-

The OECD Report on health is at :- http://www.oecd.org

Related links:- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84946
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85041

The OECD reports demonstrate that their appears to be a classist perception of our kids
that not alone undervalues their individuality but their needs in terms of access to good quality
healthcare and education requirements. This half-cocked policy is supported and defended
by the Green party who Platformed John Gormley's defence of an inequitable health system
on the evening of the 28/11/07.

Frankly I am appalled.

save preference

Comments (5 of 5)

nothing here then...

by blogger

Sat Dec 01, 2007 17:23

http://www.johngormley.com

The last diary entry was July 13th 2007 with existential angst about Patricia's-Leadership
Challenge- and a frank commentary about : 'safe seats' (electoral) and discovering
(with horror) that ireland is in breach of multiple Habitat directives. No remedy suggested
then on Tara, Poolbeg or Climate change- but Limerick is using energy efficent lightbulbs
on the xmas tree.

That Info comes from the Mary White site which does not treat of the underspends
detailed in the above article.

http://www.environ.ie

is there a disability campaigner in the house?

Mon Dec 03, 2007 19:11

Figures released this afternoon say that 8/822 cases have been seen since the enactment of
the disability act (2006), am no good at maths but guessing thats a rather low%.

This feeds into the general FF torpor on personal rights which saw in the last few years
a local principal tell me that of the 58 children (average) P/A that require psychological
assessment for a variety of learning difficulties the dept funded 2/3. thats in one local
Sandymount National School.

am looking for the links and press statements, of course the critical underspends
in health and education are plainly evident with the State allowing for private
companies to mint it on basic rights whilst abdicating in duty of care through both
the National School and Health system. it averages 300 euros or more to get the
necessary assessments and the waiting lists for private and voluntary agencies are growing,
without the assessment kids cannot get resource time, IT assistance, extra exam time,
separate rooms, readers and etc.

No Press Release

Mon Dec 03, 2007 20:30

http://www.education.ie

has no published response to the news that only 8/822 kids got access to the legislated rights
(deeply controversial at time of legislation) under the Disability Bill. As I stated in the comment above
also, there is a complete lack of direction in the Dept on funding educational psychs for kids
who need exam help-in what is a 'knowledge based' economy. Parents either take their kids
out of the system or the kids just get ignored and drop out (the FF answer to everything it seems).
In the last ten years ,no Minister for education has attended the annual Learning Difficulties
Conference (under the aegis of the Dsylexic assoc- but I could be corrected on that). The
published figures on educational pscyh should show that there is a huge defecit in funding
adequate supports within the State School System for kids to get what they need in the way
of aid.

budget juice

by Hanafin Watch

Thu Dec 06, 2007 14:19

Mary Hanfin is on re-election footing, which is a bit crazy given that Bertie hopes to Hand over to Brian within
the next 4 1/2 years that FF/Green have allotted themselves (PD don't count anymore).

She is trumpetting on increases in ed pscyhs. Capitation and school building programmes- such a pity
that these issues have been ignored for many years and that many kids are on the streets
because they do not have adequate apprenticeship programmes, that schools have I.T but no Library
facilities, that FF have suceeded in running down the primary system and created a privleged yob class who see it as
their duty to retain the establishment and the anti-human rights agenda of their parties.

Mary Hanafin cut Traveller education capitation grants.
Mary Hanafin re-directed that money into the private school sector .(funding that increase in
education for profit).
No FF TD has attended the educational needs conferences in ten years.
Some schools are in third world conditions.
some kids live in persistent poverty.

The cosmetic press release on education today is there to retain working class vote, funny that
FF have just come through an election-they must be desperate.

Consumer choices-budget repurcussions

Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:39

The VHI will introduce a 10% increase in July of next year. This is a result of the budget 'cutback'
(the money goes to Drumm and co/salary increases in the HSE).This means that the company
which was recently investigated under EU competition laws is 'passing on' any increase
under Cowen Cutbacks directly to Private insurance consumers without messing with
their treasure chest of corporate shareholders. The VHi has announced this 8 months in
advance of the request for the increase to prepare everyone for the coming increases they
seek. This does not directly effect people who cannot afford Health insurance but the EU
investigation was instigated by 'Vivas'- who came on the market after the Bupa Withdrawal.

(will add in links)

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Those Critical Underspends in Health and Education

Comments (5 of 5)