1) Wheres your credible explanation ? Chernobyl/Sellafield/Overhead power lines/genetics etc ? How much of this is under government control. All I get from your style of writing is an offended tone as though we are expected to be mindreaders.
2) How is it the governments fault ? Unless you blame the government for not taking away their freedom. . . or for not implementing genetic engineering/enforced sterilisation...
Look up. That's my point up there flying right over your head. Fault is not the issue here. It's not a question of who is at fault or who caused the disability or long-term illness. The issue is the failure of Government to create anything like equality of opportunity for people in such circumstances.
Have a look at recent updates from AHEAD about how we treat students with disabilities;
[broken link removed]
[broken link removed]
Now tell me where is the much acclaimed 'equality of opportunity' there?
So what ? Any government paper is going to seek to 'stigmatise' smoking. Calling it low class is only one way it is being done. The paper proves nothing.
Eh the ESRI is not the Government. It is a private, independent body. It does recieve some Government funding for some aspects of its work, but it is not the Government. I guess you didn't read beyond the title of the paper. I'll be happy to discuss the finer points when you've actually read it.
Thats nonsense. Theres a government scheme whereby prescription costs are refunded above a certain amount regardless of income or means.
[broken link removed]. The Drug Payment scheme has been in operation for many years. The fact you mentioned the figure of €80 per month highlights your ignorance.
Yes, there is a lot of ignorance flying round here. I was specifically referring to the Drugs Payment Scheme in my comment. The limit used to be in the region of €80 per month, and has now increased to [broken link removed]. I'd be very interested to hear how a family with one parent working in a typical low-skill role (warehousing, security, hygiene) and the other minding children with a cleaning job mornings/evenings for pin money can find €90 per month for prescriptions?
Apparently if this 'class' of people are chain smoking (according to you) then since they can obviously afford so many expensive cigarettes; its' down to choice if they dont' wish to spend 10 euro on a thermal blanket. Or are they too lazy to go down to the local charity shop/health board and beg for a coat. Which is it ? Since you ignored my earlier questions I'll expect yet another fudge followed by a raft of outdated cliches.
Reality check, which century are you living in ? You appear to be harking back to a time when the welfare state was non existant. However even in those times there still existed charity. Is there a
little match girl outside your window by any chance ?
Just for the record, it was Purple's glib 'Johnny Blue' comment that brought up the issue of smoking. There is indeed a fairly well-established link between low income and smoking. You seem to belive that there is no poverty in Ireland. I'm sure that will be news to the approx 300,000 people deemed by the CSO to be living in consistent poverty. Source: [broken link removed]. The little match girl may well be outside the window. It's probably a bit harder to recognise her and find her, but she does still exist.
So how prevalent is this ? And what is your solution ? Over the last 10 years I am pretty sure anyone who wanted a job could get one. Even drug addicts got jobs on building sites on Pearse Street (in Dublin) such was the demand for labour.
Families which have a culture of begging/unemployment are a special problem but I disagree that they won't have the wherewithal to scam some money off the system. I have never seen a gypsy without a jacket. Even the worst cases know what side their bread is buttered on. Drug addiction and crime (the solution of I steal the jacket and disregard the rights of others) is a separate issue and again is a choice made in free will with no lack of support if someone wishes to turn their back on it.
The state can only provide opportunitys; not impose them or provide people with a meaning for their lives. They have to find that meaning and purpose for themselves.
3rd generation employment does indeed exist. I did some work with a primary school in Jobstown as part of a programme to expose the kids to people who work, as they probably don't know anyone in their extended family who has a job. I'm sure the people who are waiting will be delighted to hear that there is 'no lock of support if someone wishes to turn their back'.
The state has a long, long way to go in providing equality of opportunity for all its citizens.
To get back to the R-word, the noises coming from Government, the response to recession will be to cut services from the most vulnerable citizens, while continuing to create a two-tier society by privatising more and more services.
Equality - yea, righ.....