Social Policy Essay
‘‘Identify and discuss some of the challenges which have emerged for Irish families as a result of the economic downturn in 2008. In your discussion refer to the role of the Government in responding to the challenges facing Irish families’’.
This essay will identify and discuss some of the challenges that Irish families face because of the economic downturn. In 2008, Ireland saw the beginning of a recession, one of the worst to hit Ireland. The cost of goods and services rose while unemployment levels plunged to an all-time low. The events that have come from this recession have caused many problems for Irish families especially for those who were already struggling. Family, according to article 41 of The Irish constitution, is defined as ‘’the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law” (Citizens Information 2013). As the effects of the recession took a large toll on Irish families, new policies were brought in. This essay will outline these policies and how they have helped Irish families since 2008.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that an income maintenance system existed in Ireland. Only the sick and the homeless were provided for under the Brehon Law rules. After centuries of change, laws and plantations the country was left with a poverty stricken population. The economic state of Ireland has always had an influence on income and the maintenance services that follow. When there is economic downturn, levels of maintenance rises as unemployment soars, and similarly, in boom times, maintenance levels go down as the levels of employment go up. This is how our welfare system ...
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“Ireland must be governed in the English interest” as Document 1 states. The Irish and English relationship is one of ethnic superiority over the other and geographical divide. The English feel like it is their duty to make the Irish people like themselves and they believe that their religion is the crux of what makes them inferior and the Irish just want to be left alone. The geographical divide between the nations is the mainly protestant, Ulster, and the Catholic rest of the island as Document 9 suggests. This has caused many disputes because of the fact that Irish Nationalists want the whole island unified.
Landlords virtually vanished and the great majority of Irish holdings became to be owned by Irish peasant proprietors, sons and grandsons of men who ‘often been treated with less respect than cattle’ .
So what is social policy? David Gill is often regarded as one of the most authoritive authors on the subject (1973 cited by Lavalette and Pratt 1997). For Gill it was “the analysis of access to life-enhancing and life-sustaining resources” In his book 'Social Policy' (Titmuss, 1974) Timuss suggested that 'policy' is action-orientated and proble...
Families are becoming more diverse and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some people consider families to be strictly biological, while others consider people they love to be their family. Although two-parent families are the majority, one-parent families are becoming more common in today’s society. A sole-parent is considered to be a parent without a partner or spouse who is the primary care giver of one or more children in a household (Ministry of Social Development, 2010). From the age of 14 onward I was raised by my father. I witnessed firsthand th...
Gallagher 2009 cited in Share, P & Lawlor, K. (eds) Applied Social Care An Introduction for students in Ireland (2nd ed) Dublin: Gill & Macmillan (2009).
Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick. N.d. TS. Swift, "" Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .
Many of these Irish immigrants had no skills, no previous experience and no money. They also had only a few clothes and little hope as well as little education. In hopes to finding better times and opportunities, however, instead they encountered times no better than the conditions they left behind in Ireland. The living conditions were not glamorous or even comfortable. Often times t...
Families are becoming more diverse and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some people consider families to be strictly biological, while others consider people they love to be their family. Although two-parent families, also known as a nuclear family are the majority, one-parent families are becoming more common in today’s society. A sole-parent is considered to be a parent without a partner or spouse who is the primary care giver of one or more children in a household (Ministry of Social Development, 2010). From the age of 14 onward I was raised by m...
As a result, the famine is an event still discussed and debated today; influencing Irish politics and its position within the British Isles. Questions about morality and blame have led to historians to attempt to critique British and Irish response during the famine, whilst cataloging the short term and long-term consequences. Although most blame is primarily placed on the regional and national governments response to the famine crisis, the actions of the State do not provide an adequate analysis of early nineteenth century social structures which would shape Ireland both economically, socially and politically in the years before the famine. The establishment of the Union in 1801 led to a free market system and s...
Walsh, M., Stephens, P and Moore, S (2005)Social Policy and Welfare, Cheltenham, Stanley Thrones Publishers Ltd
These include things like welfare and the mixed economy of welfare. The mixed economy of welfare is used in Ireland. It refers to the fact that the government are not the only people to look after those in need of care and welfare. This is also done by voluntary agencies, private agencies and informal sectors, Fanning et al. (1999). This shows that the welfare of the people is an issue not just of the state but societies as other parts of society contribute, however, the government is needed to oversee this. Bryan Fanning defines it by
Since the turn of the millennium Ireland witnessed unprecedented growth, in stark contrast to the economic hardship of the 1900’s. Ireland became one of the most prosperous countries in Europe during the 2000’s. Times were good for Ireland as unemployment was low, growth and GDP was growing year on year and inflation was constant. In 2008, all this was to change and Ireland witnessed the worst recession in its history. The banking crisis, the construction sector and poor regulation were the major contributors in the Irish recession. A fiscal crisis erupted, NAMA (National Assets Management Agency) was established to secure bad loans in banks, and a EU/IMF bailout was agreed which burdened Irish taxpayers. I will explore the causes and consequences of the crisis in this essay.
In fact, a number of research studies suggest that the family, particularly the parenting behavior has a huge impact on children’s development because of their dependence on the family during the growing phase. Eamon (2001) suggests that sudden income loss or a threat to disturb regular activities and daily accommodations result in psychological distress among the people who face it, so in this case the parents are the ones who deal with such distress. The readjustment of lifestyles leads to conflicts within the family due to the desires to enjoy the lifestyle that they once had before the hardship. In other words, sudden economic loss may affect relationships and interactions within the family by creating pressure, especially on parents to meet the needs of the basic necessities. In some cases, the pressure becomes severe to the extent that it may also result in parental depression. Therefore, their ability to cope up with the sudden change in the economic status and lifestyles become very important as that would determine how well the parents can answer their children when th...
The Catholic Church had a great influence on Social policy in Ireland which began in the 19th Century. They worked from two broad headings; the teaching influence and the practical influence.
During the twentieth century, Ireland was suffering through a time of economic hardship. “Economic growth was stagnant, unemployment was at a historic high and exceeded anywhere in the EU, except possibly Spain, and the state was one of the most indebted in the world” . Irish men and women who had received a formal education had immigrated to other nations due to the unavailability of jobs at home. This left Ireland in a state of further economic downfall, and the lack of skilled workers left Ireland stuck. The 1990’s were a turning point for Ireland. A rise in industry within the nation, as well as an increase in exports, led Ireland to become the “shining nation” in Europe. It became internationally linked with one of the biggest power nations, the United States, and international trade became Ireland’s new source for a booming economy. This brought the rise of what was known as the Celtic Tiger in Ireland.