Contemporary Irish Social Policy

A comprehensive review of the range of social policy provision in Ireland-education, income maintenance, employment, housing and health-together with chapters relating to different categories of consumers of services including children, people with disabilities, older people, Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers. Key areas of policy development concerning youth, drugs and the criminal justice system are also examined. Each chapter is complete in itself, providing descriptions and analysis of current policy, an overview of its historical development and discussion of current and future issues in the field. A table of the main policy developments and a list of further reading are given at the end of each chapter. The contributors include academics, researchers and managers of services in the public and voluntary sectors. Intended especially as a textbook for students of social policy, it is also a basic reference book for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of current social policy provision in Ireland.