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Services Education and Training Education in Ireland is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 15 (raising of the school leaving age to 16 is currently being considered). Education is free at all levels. In 1998/99 more than a quarter of the population of the State were in some form of full-time education. The education system is administered by the Department of Education and Science, which also provides most of the funding. In 1999 about £1.75 billion was spent by the Department. The budget for 2000 is over £3 billion. Science and Technology The Government recognises that science and technology are essential to economic, social and cultural development. It is committed to fostering development and progress in the scientific sector by supporting scientific education and technical training, ensuring a constant flow of qualified and capable graduates into the sector. Responsibility for science and technology affairs in Ireland is structured along sectoral lines. All Government Departments are responsible for science and technology in their respective portfolios. Health Services Responsibility for provision of health services lies with the Department of Health and Children at a national level and with the regional Health Boards at a regional level. The Department sets the overall budget for the health services, plans the development of the sector and oversees any proposed regulatory or legislative change. It also has responsibilities for services such as social work, adoption, child care, etc. Social Welfare System The Social Welfare system seeks to be comprehensive in its addressing of social need and fair, consistent, simple and cost effective in its administration. Responsibility for social welfare payments lies with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. There are three main types of benefit.
Grant aid is also provided to voluntary and community organisations working with the elderly, long-term unemployed and socially disadvantaged. Telecommunications The Irish telecommunications sector has recently been liberalised and opened up to competition. Previously, only the State-owned company Telecom Éireann had the right to supply telephone services and operate the associated telecommunications network. As of June 2000, seven companies offer the full range of fixed line telephone services- Eircom, Esat, Ocean, MCI Worldcom, GTS and Cable and Wireless. There are three companies Eircell, Esat Digiphone, and Meteor Communications offering mobile telephony services Road Networks Ireland possesses a very extensive system of public roads, with more kilometres per 1,000 of population than many other EU member states. Ireland's reliance on the road network is due chiefly to a relatively low population density and level of urbanisation. Public Transport There are very few centres of population in Ireland that are not well serviced by public transport, with routes linking most major towns and cities and extensive bus services to rural areas. The majority of public transport services are provided by the State-owned company Coras Iompar Éireann (CIE). Subsidiary companies of CIE are Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), Bus Éireann (Irish Bus) and Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin Bus). CIE International Tours specialise in coach tours of Ireland. Currently CIE is also responsible for the construction of the Luas light rail system in Dublin. Newspapers Six morning newspapers are published in Ireland:
Three daily evening newspapers are published, The Belfast Telegraph, The Evening Herald and The Evening Echo. Radio Ireland has four national public service stations, one independent national station and a host of local broadcasters. Television Radio Telefís Ùireann is the State broadcasting service. Although radio broadcasting began in 1926, the Irish television service was only established in 1961. RTÉ television broadcasts nation-wide on two channels, RTÉ One and Network 2. Network 2 is aimed primarily at a youthful audience, while RTÉ One is the more mainstream channel. RTÉ's staff of almost 2,100 includes writers, technicians, journalists, musicians, producers, actors, artists and designers. TG4 the Irish language television channel, offers on average of 12 hours of programming per day. TV3 is an independent channel established in 1998, focusing on both a mainstream and youthful audience. |
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