Theory and Practice in Social Policy.

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Friday January 25, 2008 15:14

by C Murray

Friday Round-up.

The Taoiseach gets Friday off. Its a long-standing tradition that was facilitated by the
Labour Party in exchange for speaking time in the Dail.

The images on the Newswire of the Women's Protest in Belfast caught my eye,
given the Health and social problems that are becoming evident in Dolphin's Barn,
because someone gave Ms Harney 16 Billion Euros to continue to implement her Health
Policy which is to close down hospitals in areas that have high populations of young children.

Its called 'amalgamation'.

Gender and Ecology

Last evening on RTE, there was a bit of a debacle as Mary announced that the wage agreements
with consultants in suits had been agreed, except that the IMO did not agree at all. (yet)
We were treated to Professor Drumm in a suit discussing the Implementation of policy
to 'increase Consultants in public hospital facilities'; and a short report on how playing
Wii video games can have applications in keyhole surgeries.

* Last week there were reported three cases of sewage leakage into the sanitary systems
of the bathrooms in the flats complex in Dolphin's Barn. The kids were suffering from
blinding headaches, vomiting and high temperatures. The Dublindoc service did urine tests,
but did not take bloods. (as yet).

* One woman reported that the sewage had reached 'her taps' and had an 11pm callout,
when the corp arrived, they had to cut the pipes to drain off the sewage and she has been
bleaching and spraying.

* Another patient has had to wait 18 months to get a medical priority to move from a one
bed flat (she has two kids) and pre-cancerous cells. She also needs someone to care
for her kids after her treatments.

* Dolphin's Barn is served by both Tallaght and Crumlin Children's Hospital. Crumlin
is to be sent to the Mater site, so that Mr Ahern will have his name on a brick or a wing.
There is a huge population of young children in the area with general childhood
difficulties such as CF, Asthma and minor accidents.

The CF parents are not enamoured of Ms Harney's 'Looking into' creating private
facilities for CF. CF is diagnosed just after birth through the use of the Heel-prick test.
The heel-prick test used be carried out before the infant was allowed home. Due to
ongoing over-crowding, nursing and midwifery staff are carrying these tests out
after release in the home of the patient.

The two images:-

A monograph of Gender and Ecology- by Isis Women.

*The civil society groups in the ACP were kept away from the Climate Change
conference in Bali. This was attended by amongst others John Gormley TD, who
stood over Ms Harney's health Policy. He is sitting Minister for Environment in DSE
which contains two major issues for Health and environment:- The Closure of St Luke's
and the Building of an Incinerator , which will mean transporting 600,000 tonnes of waste
through a built up area with a young population in Ringsend.

*The image from the women's Protest in Belfast. the last image of the politico
in his suit and manicure is excellent.

related links:-

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85907
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85274
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85161

Joe Higgins is hosting a meeting on equal access to health care for all.
It should be on the event guide.If it is not, I will add in the link or publish as event later.

I agree with these Women.

save preference

Comments (12 of 12)

wrong link

Fri Jan 25, 2008 15:18

I put the wrong link on the link list:-

it should have been:- 'PD Failures in Women's Health Issues'

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84946

Meeting Notice

Fri Jan 25, 2008 18:57

Posters around the City Centre today are advertising the meeting on Access to Health Care
for All on Tuesday the 29th at 7.45pm, Wynn's Hotel.

Speakers :- Dr Hardiman and Dr Crown.

Details on the events guide:- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85843

The evening is hosted by the Socialist party. I know at least two active groups concerned in
Both St Luke's and Crumlin Campaigns that should be sending representatives to the meeting.
Both hospitals are facing amalgamation under current health Policy, thus depriving
communities of excellent health care.

It fell off the radar..

Fri Jan 25, 2008 19:48

Last night RTE implied that the Minister had 'Jumped the Gun' by announcing sucessful
outcomes in wage agreements:- http://www.dohc.ie/press/releases/2008/20080124b.html :-
This Press release details the exuberant 'welcome' broadcast nationally, then it emerged that
IMO had left the talks and had made a statement on the why:-

http://www.imo.ie/view_categories.php?cat_id=10&doc_id=4356

The IMO have now returned to the table to see if they can reach agreement.
Interestingly they have not updated the statement since the 24th, but The consultant assoc.
have (its in http://www.ireland.com breaking news 17.46pm)

So all parties to the talks are saying differing things!

It appears that 2,000 new consultants based in the public health system (soon to be
amalgamated specialist hospitals ) will not be basing their decisions on whether a patient
is public or private but on medical need. However , the issue is far from agreed.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85843

Deputy Finian Mc Grath

by ?

Sat Jan 26, 2008 09:27

Deputy Mc Grath stood with Green and FF when Labour did a no confidence in Harney.

This means that Mc Grath supports Privatisation. Public Health Insurance. HSE led politics.
Recruitment freeze- in exchange for his betrayal he got a CF unit in his constituency.

This is clientelism in action. Kids in working class areas in Crumlin are in danger of
losing their CF unit and one TD copperfastened this unfair health system to ensure
his vote.

i hate this country.

They rob Peter to Pay Paul and are messing with lives to cover ineptitude.

lying politicians

by Link

Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:33

http://www.finianmcgrath.ie

Finian supports 'people-centred policies' and therefore wisely supported Ms Harney
during a no-confidence motion tabled by Labour , supported by FG.

Bertie promised Finian an up-grade of exsistent Cystic Fibrosis unit in return for loyalty.
There is a contact form on his web-page. This sham government proposes supporting
a 4.5 year PD health policy through use of bribery and refuses to address the issues
created by Privatisation of Health -care.

[His record on rendition is also suspect]

Cronyism by any other name...

by C.

Mon Jan 28, 2008 13:23

http://www.dohc.ie/press/releases/2008/20080125.html

Ms Harney has been 're-appointing ' ex Dept of Finance types onto the Board of The HSE under the 2004 act.
(some retirements etcetera- Niamh Brennan would still be on the Board.)

The Irish medical Organisation have difficulties with the fan-fared wage agreement hammered out and
Press-released by Ms harney on theursday evening, the Hospital consultanants gave guarded welcome
but IMO are 'still in talks'

Interesting that -Reform of the Health Service- involves copperfastening the hierarchical structure
and the employers, so that in the event of further pay freezes, recruitments freezes and strikes that the
consultants and the over-paid HSE will be 'Onside'- a huge percentage of public money is again being put into
maintaining the institutional bureaucratic structures- and not addressing the reason why amalgamated
hospital services are letting down communities with no published plans for clinic and maintained
public hospitals.

The issue of Ff supporting the Private Hospital on Public Campus legislation is unaddressed.
The issue of rising unemployment and access to health care is unaddressed.

Labour Court Ruling

by radiohead

Mon Jan 28, 2008 18:15

All the nationals are covering the Labour Court hearing brought by INO and Impact
which seeks ruling on the HSE Recruitment freeze of September 2007.

Budgetary considerations did not prevent HSE getting large salaries whilst unions said that
the freeze (now lifted)- endangered patients lives.

ruling expected on the issue this PM.

nothing on :-

IMO about the agreed salaries between DOHC and IHCA
nothing on DOHC on the labour Court meeting on HSE.

While they wrangle- each and every one of them is still through 'Towards 2016' and
agreed PPP structures covering gross ineptitude; and two tier health policy because
of the failed Health care system which through amalgamation and Privatisation practices
has reduced patient care to a minor factor in the politics of the current government.

Our Servants???

by Truth

Tue Jan 29, 2008 09:30

That's common purpose for you then???

While people are busy making money to pay these servants of the state, they are busy with their own agenda of enslavment of all.

Have a look at who is at the top of the chain, where they were trained, where they came from??

Then the pieces of the jigsaw will fit.

Webpages

Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:13

For quite a considerable period the website belonging to Ms Harney (PD/Personal page)
as opposed to the http://www.dohc.ie website has been closed. It has a pic and a computer
graphic= 5 letters 'Reform'.

I am ex-union (SIPTU) and was helped through an amazing pile of shite by SIPTU in relation
to a labour Court and another court hearing in relation to Women's Rights issues in a job.
Thus the area of reform interests me highly, I do not see how it can be achieved by
the imposition of the existent frameworks which MS Harney is using- in which she
went out and stated openly and publicly on DOHC that a five year battle for agreement
was reached with consultants and employers (leaving out the IMO, btw) and
then yesterday it emerges that the two unions that were questioning the recruitment
freeze are in the Labour Court because they claim that the HSE freeze mitigates
against patient care.

From where I stand and through long union relationship I wd suggest that she is
keeping the upper ecehelons onside and ignoring patient and worker rights.

Thats not reform, thats abuse.

anyway-I am in a writers union now, and I think its about time that people in head of unions
worked with issues brought to table by workers- and mostly the ones I know have
continued problems listening to the women's rights advocates who form the main
bodies some of our unions- INO.(for example) has more women than men.
I have friends in IMPACT also.

Newstalk (yesterday and today)

Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:39

over the past 24 hours and into this morning Newstalk has been highlighting the disaster
that is the Irish Health service, this morning an analyst pointed out that the 16 million dedicated
to the Health service through the budget is being spent on salaries.

How much will the legal processes cost- one spokesperson said that in any other country
the incompetence and criminality would result in contributory manslaughter charges.

issues coming up are staff in the Beuamont begging patients to help them raise money
for an ultrasound machine.
HSE massage of the patient numbers on trolleys issues.
traumatic births and deliveries in the maternity sector that staff are simply incapable
of coping with.

It has been incredibly upsetting to listen to.

Bertie Ahern will address the joint houses of congress in the US on the 30th of
April this year. He stands over a health system that puts patient care last behind the
issue of salary and bureaucracy. The Reform process of which Ms Harney speaks
simply does not take cognizance of need and is failed. The two tier system may provide
a shiny doctor, empty waiting rooms, intimidating blue carpets and exotic fish tanks
with well-manicured nurses for those who have given up on public health, or
have to mortagage everything to ensure loved ones are cared for- but it is depriving
the general population of care and is corrupt to the root.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84946
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85041

I will be bringing my family to the protest on March 29th.

Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:47

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86321

Children's Referendum

Sun Feb 24, 2008 14:13

Child Poverty and the right to a home are part of the call today by Focus Ireland to ensure that Children's rights
are upheld as part of the referendum on Children's Rights, which has been moved from the original date to coincide
with the Reform Treaty Referendum to possibly 2009.

http://www.focusireland.ie
http://www.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/12272...omnet

Barnados is currently running a campaign on issues around child poverty which largely goes unexplored in this
state, which should include the right to education, adequate health provision, nutrition and shelter. as well
as the right to knowledge on safety issues.There are many families in trouble with debt and poverty, and amalgamation
of hospital services together with two -tierism is denying to them those rights. some families I know are facing eviction
on high rents with little provision in housing services; and one of them spent 18 months in a BB, where the mum
sat in a park between her three kids schools everyday and is now suffering health repurcussions. rents are sometimes 900
euros plus, with nothing in the way of supports when unemployment or ill-health interferes with ability to pay.
yep! they throw school-going kids on the streets in this country and emergency housing issues cause breaks in access
to education and health services.

The date for the children's rights referendum is to be announced. Mary o Rourke is chairing the committee.

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Comments (12 of 12)