Irish social policy : a critical introduction / Mairéad Considine and Fiona Dukelow

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introducing social policy -- Section I Approaching Social Policy: from the past to the present -- From the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century: the emergence of social policy in Ireland -- From the 1920s to the 1970s: the development of social policy in Ireland -- From the 1980s to the present: social policy in context -- Section II Explaining Social Policy: politics, ideology and welfare states -- Social policy and the welfare state: origins, developments and reform -- Political Ideologies, Welfare and Social Policy -- Contemporary theories and debates in social policy: Ireland in a wider context -- Section III Analysing Irish Social Policy I: social services -- Social protection policy -- Health policy -- Education policy -- Housing policy --Section IV Analysing Irish Social Policy II: social groups, social policy and sustainability -- Social groups and social policy: rights and recognition -- Social policy and social groups: issues of diversity and discrimination -- Social policy, the environment and sustainable development.

When the first edition of Irish Social Policy was published in 2009, Ireland's enduring economic crisis was only beginning to emerge. In the time since, nearly all areas of Irish social policy have been significantly affected, as policy makers have sought to combat the numerous, multifaceted social challenges posed by Ireland's economic downfall. Retaining the first edition's original structure and the same highly accessible style, this second edition of Irish Social Policy is fully updated and revised to reflect these dramatic shifts. Needs and risks associated with recession and economic precarity have escalated, while social services have simultaneously been forced to cope with significant cutbacks and restructuring. Changes in the landscape of policy making processes and policy drivers are also occurring, as are shifts in the politics and ideas underpinning Ireland's social policy. Particularly timely in light of these ongoing changes, this imperative book offers a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to social policy in the evolving Ireland of today.