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	<title>Society.ie &#187; Ireland | Society.ie</title>
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	<link>https://society.ie</link>
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		<title>Neighbourhood of strangers: AirBNB and the commodification of housing</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2018/09/neighbourhood-of-strangers-airbnb-and-the-commodification-of-housing/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2018/09/neighbourhood-of-strangers-airbnb-and-the-commodification-of-housing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Sep 2018 08:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Airbnb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homelessness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inequality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sharing economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welfare State]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://society.ie/?p=1056</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Figures published by the Department of Housing this month indicate that the number of homeless people in Ireland has reached the 10,000 mark. Responding to the escalating figures, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said that current housing policies ‘were working’, but that the nature of the housing crisis meant it could never be ‘turn[ed] around in two years’. Four years ago, with homeless figures at a comparatively paltry 3,000, this author wrote of the urgent need for further provision of social housing and a policy understanding that the private sector would not be able to adequately provide for the housing needs of the economically marginalised in Irish society. Since then, homelessness has more than trebled, and for those in Dublin fortunate enough to be able to afford rent, over half their net income is now needed to cover it, making Dublin more expensive than Paris, Singapore or London (Borough) as a proportion of income spent on rent, with Galway exceeding the rent as percentage of income for notoriously expensive San Francisco. Coincidently, it was the prohibitive accommodation prices of San Francisco that led to the development of one of the most successful ‘sharing-economy’ applications invented and the subject of this [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Not only the Rich: A Case for Fees</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2018/02/not-only-the-rich-a-case-for-fees/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2018/02/not-only-the-rich-a-case-for-fees/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Feb 2018 11:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boudon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dublin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inequality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Subsidisation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Third Level]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://society.ie/?p=1038</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The evolving demands of the labour market, coupled with a policy push toward the creation of a ‘Knowledge Economy’, has led to the increasing expectation and prerequisite of a third level degree in the Irish jobs market. With the majority of Irish students pursuing a third level education on completion of second level, second level education itself has been moulded away from one that included both vocational and comprehensive strands, to one that can best be described as a pathway to further education rather than an end in itself. It is therefore not surprising that Ireland boasts one of the highest rates of progression to third level education in Europe, with over 6% of the adult population enrolled in higher education at the present time. While the overall numbers are impressive, a less rosy picture emerges when one observes the geographic and socio-economic demarcations that emerge when one looks at those who progress to third level versus those who do not. These disparities are evident across the state, with Galway and Mayo exhibiting progression levels above the national average, while counties such as Donegal and Laois show the lowest progression rates by county. Even more striking than the national differences [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Issues of General Election 2016: Healthcare</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2016/02/the-issues-of-general-election-2016-healthcare/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2016/02/the-issues-of-general-election-2016-healthcare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:56:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General Election 2016]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healthcare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NHS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Private]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UHI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=854</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The healthcare system is an inefficient, two-tiered mishmash of public and private providers and clients, and is in urgent need of drastic change. This much all political parties are in general agreement on. However, approaches to resolving the failings and inefficiencies of the current system vary widely, from the private-provision orientated philosophies of Renua, to the fully public visions of the Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit group. In my previous article addressing the possible introduction of UHI in Ireland, it was argued that health care was one of the anomalies of private market efficiency, in that not only were international examples of public provision of healthcare more comprehensive in nature than their private counterparts, but that public provision was also consistently the most efficient method of allocation and spending. This is down to the fact that, for the invisible hand of the private market to efficiently allocate goods, perfect information, perfect competition and the absence of market failures is required (Barr, 1984, p. 79). Yet the assumption that consumers of healthcare are perfectly informed both as to the quality and nature of their health insurance is questionable, with consumers often either over or under-insuring their person. Indeed, an evaluation of the Dutch health [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Issues of General Election 2016: Housing</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2016/02/the-issues-of-general-election-2016-housing/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2016/02/the-issues-of-general-election-2016-housing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2016 22:35:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General Election 2016]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homelessness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Five years after the 31st Dáil was elected on the backlash of the property crash, housing remains one of the most contentious issues in the run up to General Election 2016. Different housing approaches have been taken over the course of the state’s existence, with each holding specific benefits and downsides to its social stakeholders. Historically, private home ownership has largely been promoted as the ideal housing solution, with former Taoiseach John A. Costello describing home ownership as giving people ‘a stake in the country’, and amounting to ‘good business nationally and socially’ (Norris and Redmond, 2005, pp. 18, 26). A previous article on this website has argued against the continuation of state-endorsed private ownership of housing owing to the ‘ghettoization’ it has the potential of inducing, posing the risk that individuals who would not normally be able to afford a house on the open market end up purchasing a house through Local Authority discounts or through government assistance (mortgage interest relief, stamp duty cuts). The risk of such a policy approach is that those home owners are less able to financially afford the upkeep of their housing, leading to housing dilapidation similar to that occurring in some inner city communities [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Why should surfers be fed?&#8217; Unconditional Basic Income in Ireland</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2016/01/why-should-surfers-be-fed-unconditional-basic-income-in-ireland/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2016/01/why-should-surfers-be-fed-unconditional-basic-income-in-ireland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2016 23:04:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basic Income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poverty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welfare State]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=745</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With a General Election imminent, testing social issues are sure to be voiced readily over the coming months in both party manifestos and general public discourse. One topic that will certainly take centre stage in the upcoming debates is the issue of social deprivation and how to best combat economic poverty in a state still recovering from the downturn. Internationally, various competing approaches to combatting poverty exist, ranging from the comprehensive if expensive welfare state schemes associated with the Social Democratic model, to more threadbare ‘safety-net’ welfare regimes (Liberal model) intended to encourage individuals to pursue paid employment in the labour market in order to improve their personal welfare. In Ireland, the current administration advocates job creation as the best method of alleviating poverty, with ALMPs intended to reduce unemployment levels and thereby increase economic wellbeing. Yet major disincentives continue to exist for unemployed individuals attempting to enter employment, with the loss of benefits and new costs acting to counteract some of the benefits of paid employment. The following table covers some of the potential disincentives facing jobseekers in Ireland: Name Description Causes Unemployment Trap Owing to the withdrawal of benefits on entry into employment, individuals’ net income is actually higher [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Individualistic Homelessness: Housing the roofless</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2015/11/individualistic-homeless-housing-the-roofless/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2015/11/individualistic-homeless-housing-the-roofless/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2015 00:28:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homelessness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welfare State]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=694</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While decriminalising drug possession is a simplistic and ultimately self-defeating approach (a topic to be addressed in a future article), it must also be realised that incarceration is not a suitable response to dealing with social problems such as narcotic abuse, and will ultimately only succeed in increasing rooflessness, itself a gateway to narcotic use.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Curing the Health System: UHI in Ireland</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2015/06/uhi-in-ireland/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2015/06/uhi-in-ireland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 2015 20:47:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Healthcare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NHS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Private]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UHI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=509</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Irish healthcare system cannot accurately be described as being either public or private in nature, but rather a mesh of public and private, non-profit and for-profit institutions. The inefficiencies of the current hybrid system are painfully evident, while the inequality of service provision, typified in the current layout where hospital consultants are paid a salary for public patients and fee per private patient (thereby creating an incentive to favour private patients over their public counterparts), is likewise galling to the concerned observer (Wren and Tussing, 2006). This so termed two-tier health system is indeed being tackled by the roll-out of (a now delayed) Universal Health Insurance (hereafter referred to as UHI) and its current predecessor Lifetime Community Rating (LCR), and the successful introduction of compulsory health insurance should largely eliminate the gross inequalities in access and treatment experience evident in the current system. UHI has been billed as eradicating the distinction between public and private patients since treatment will be provided on ‘the basis of medical need rather than an individual’s ability to pay’ (Department of Health, 2014, p. 2). The UHI is also intended to implement free GP care for everyone by the time of its full implementation, [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Social Costs of Direct Provision</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2014/12/422/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2014/12/422/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:00:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ruairi Maguire]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ruairi's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asylum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Provision]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=422</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A clear majority of Irish voters approve of the current Direct Provision policy towards asylum seekers [1]. Support for the policy is strong across all social classes, but is especially popular among DE voters, and, surprisingly, among young voters (18 to 34). Given such broad popular support for the current arrangement, it is unlikely that any change to the system is going to be enacted any time soon. But what are the consequences of the direct provision system, both for asylum seekers and for Irish society more generally? For asylum seekers themselves, the consequences of direct provision are unequivocally negative. According to a study from the Irish Refugee Council, “Counting the Cost: Barriers to employment after Direct Provision”, asylum seekers suffer both from the physical effects of poor diet (the current private system of asylum centres incentivises the provision of low-protein food in order to reduce costs and boost margins for owners, who receive substantial compensation for each asylum seeker resident) with the deleterious effects on their mental health resultant from their long-term status as asylum seekers, and confinement in the centres with their often cramped living conditions. The leeway allowed for exploitation given by the current system, combined with the Irish [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<title>Water: Economics and Equitability</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2014/10/water-economics-and-equitability/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2014/10/water-economics-and-equitability/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Oct 2014 07:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget 2015]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IMF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Charges]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=394</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The economics of water is about trying to understand water scarcity and the values of water, as well as how to ensure that our broadly defined needs are understood, that costs and benefits of choices are clear and that the impacts of alternative pricing schedules are clarified (Joyce and Convery, 2009, p. 377). Implying that water is an economic good is not an inherently popular position to take in a society  where, under an ‘absent hand’, people have grown up without the realisation that water is, in fact, an expensive commodity to deliver (Scott, 2003, p. 2). ‘Free Water’ is by nature far from free, costing the Irish exchequer (and by default the taxpayer) over €1 billion a year to supply and maintain (Convery, 2008). Ireland has quickly climbed up the marginal cost curve owing to the fact that water supply paid for by the exchequer has provided no discouragement to excessive and often wasteful usages of water. While the funding of water via direct taxation in a progressive tax system has the feature of enabling payments to be related with one’s ability to pay, it has done little to assuage Ireland’s thirst for water, resulting in a highly inequitable system where those [&#8230;]]]></description>
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		<title>Housing: replacing the wobbly pillar</title>
		<link>https://society.ie/2014/08/housing-replacing-the-wobbly-pillar/</link>
		<comments>https://society.ie/2014/08/housing-replacing-the-wobbly-pillar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2014 14:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ryan Ó Giobúin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan's digest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget 2015]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Policy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://society.ie/?p=312</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The recent election of Joan Burton as the 11th leader of the Labour party brings hope to its members of a change in the fortunes of their party which faced an electoral nightmare in the local and European elections. But comments made by Burton that ‘a Labour priority in the remainder of this Government’s term would be to deliver a major social and affordable housing programme’ will also bring hope to the 3,000 homeless persons, and 250 families being housed in short term accommodations. Housing was once labeled the ‘wobbly pillar under the welfare state’, but in a country with a shambolic healthcare system and a stuttering public service, some might argue that the welfare state itself is but an illusion, and other services such as healthcare ought to prioritized ahead of social housing. Burton’s re-emphasis on delivering social and affordable housing may be interpreted by some as a cynical attempt to regain the support of Labour’s traditional electoral base of the urban working class, which deserted the Labour cause in droves at the recent local elections. Yet regardless the reason, the return of the debate on social housing should be welcomed as an opportunity to reevaluate the role social housing [&#8230;]]]></description>
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