To ask why TA’s in uk are paid so little compared to Irish counterparts?

[Positivenancy]

Just as the title says…SNA’s in Ireland are paid a starting salary of over 27k. Why are they only receiving 12-15k in the uk!! It’s terrible!

It's all swings and roundabouts - my tax here in Ireland is a lot more than it was in the UK, doctors and prescriptions way more expensive - medication in general is so much more (I actually drive up north every now and then to buy paracetamol/ibuprofen, and it's so much cheaper that the cost of the fuel balances it out!) - then again, my property tax (ie council tax) is less, my water/elec/oil/petrol is similar, my shopping depends on what I buy (meat here is a lot cheaper, and better quality)

Education is just much more valued here I think - I have a friend who's recently qualified to be an SNA, works at a local school, and they just treat each other well (eg. when she moved house, the head told her to take the day off - even though it was term time - they just looked after her). I'm sure it varies, but both my kids schools are generally much better at being a community and thinking about each other (eg. what time school starts, what's good for a particular child, what's reasonable around time off for dentist/appointments/even going on a special holiday)

Our local ‘public’ pool is 4.50 for children and 6.50 for over 16s. Seems a similar price?

Do the secondary schools not have a half day on one day?

Benefits are higher (e.g. unemployment benefit is approx 200e/week).
I think it is about €240 now

Child benefit is also very good. I have 3 children (eldest 17 now) but I still get €400 per month in children's allowance. It is not means tested so univeral entitlement. Due to the cost of living crisis the government gave double payments last December and the December before for all welfare recipients so I got €800 last December in children's allowance.

I work within a very disadvantaged community in Dublin and I see poverty every day. A statistic that shocked me recently was that the most disadvantaged people in Ireland are still 60% better off than the most disadvantaged in the UK. I can only assume it is due to social welfare benefits and I have no idea how those families are surviving in the UK. I worked in London in Disadvantaged communities in the early noughties and things were bad then, so upsetting to think how bad it has got for those families.

Salaries are higher across the board in Ireland. Life is a lot more expensive here and taxes are much higher - swings and roundabouts.

Not all but most do (mine never did buy my brothers did)
My kids primary is 9-1.30 for first 3 years and 9-2.30 for rest. My kids secondary is 8.50-3.50 and half day Wednesday.

No. The OP wasn't talking FTE

@motherdaughter your DH should have had a payrise this year. And it was back dated (although most of it was eaten up in tax in the end). Did he not get this?

True but our welfare system is better,

@Sparrowball how can you have a medical card on 40k??? Do you have a dp?

Because for a long time mostly women have been happy to accept the poor salary for being able to work school hours and term times. Now there are some pretty flexible jobs out there this isn't such a pull, DS' school has advertised the same 2 TA posts numerous times whereas they used to get inundated with applications. It's not the schools fault they can't afford to offer more, but if Labour are serious about improving education hopefully they'll look at the salaries of all school staff, not just teachers.

I'm on minimum wage as a TA
I work one to one with two students in Year 7 plus general TA in Year 5
I run intervention groups
Do playground duties ..morning and lunch ..which includes far more than just watching !!
Go on residential trips ..and day trips
I've been at the school 20 years

I don't have a medical card and never said I did, I didn't post my salary either. My GP is €65 per visit and €20 for an online repeat prescription.

@Isthisit2 i said I have a medical card on over 40k, i am separated and have two dc, but I also have private healthcare through my employer.

@Sparrowball sorry , misquoted you. Apologies too op , thought you are in Ireland and I was confused re medical card.

@Positivenancy “care is free for all”. It absolutely is not. I paid 80 euros last week (just checked) to go to gp and prescription. I have to pay every-time I go to a GP. €60 euros is a lot of money for one consultant with prescription on top. Under 8’s are free but all my kids are now over that. Dentists cost an absolute fortune. Of course “care isn’t free for all”.

Private medical insurance only covers a small amount of gp costs and anyway you are still paying. I really don’t understand the “care is free for all”. We had one bad year here with (thankfully) minor illnesses and this was before they introduced free under 8’s and it cost us thousands to see gps etc as we had to pay for everything for all our kids and us, if you have something v worrying people often pay thousands (if they actually can) to see someone privately. I think this is a case of not seeing how others live, “squeezed middle” etc . I think there’s a real lack of public services here considering the tax we pay.

Last time I was there, everything was bloody expensive in ROI. Healthcare is not free.

Not all private health insurance plans partially refund costs either. Some will refund a set amount for each GP, consultant and dental visit. There's an excess to be paid when you have treatment privately too.

We can claim 20% of all medical expenses, minus any refund from health insurance, from revenue too, but it certainly adds up over the year.

It really is a shock for tourists, even a pub lunch and a soft drink must look like highway robbery.

I said I was talking FTE salaries, as were others.

That is a lot of money.

Whilst you can get private medical (which as other people have said, has an excess - so you do still pay), it only attracts tax relief to the first 1000EUR (500/child) - which gets you basically cover for emergency big stuff, but you'll still be paying out of pocket for the day to day, and prescriptions cost what they cost - it's not flat rate like in the UK.

On the other hand, when I need to go and see a doctor, I can - I don't have to compete at 8am for appointments or wait weeks.

I can virtually always get a same day appointment. But I never go to the Dr for minor things that can be self treated.

I thought there was a monthly cap on prescription costs (if you have to pay yourself and no medical card)?

I note also from friends I know in Ireland that there are NO fines for taking kids out of school during term time, and it's generally not a big issue either. A much more relaxed attitude it seems, and yet education is very good there too. It is not all Hard Times and Mr. Gradgrind!

Anyone can apply for the Drugs Payment Scheme and it caps monthly prescription costs at €80, at one stage is was €144.

Parents can be prosecuted if their children miss a lot of school, but I've only read of the occasional and very extreme case. There aren't ongoing fines though.