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!

I was thinking more in terms of taking kids out to go on holidays, or to go to a wedding or whatever. There doesn't seem to be a problem with that (or fines) at primary level anyway. I would hope that serial non attenders are dealt with through the parents.

Education in IE is a very well respected profession, reflected in the comparably good salaries, and equality of access and standards.Interestingly, there are historic / cultural reasons for this, that increased on one hand the costs ( incl. salaries) of the health&education systems but also on the other hand improved the outcomes of both.The difficulty with any comparison between U.K. and IE systems is that the health system invariably gets thrown into the mix, with the starting point that the NHS is free ( at point of use ) and free = better. But really this is becoming more of a straw man’s argument. No other comparable country has copied the NHS model in half a century. Almost all comparable countries , including ireland, use a mix of funding , rather than relying on taxation alone, and most outperform the NHS in health outcomes. About a third of Irish people (numbers increasing as slaintecare rolled out) have a medical card ,determined by age and income. All children under 8 have free GP access and assessments. Just under half have private health insurance. Most private health insurers allow you to claim back part of GP etc. costs . You can usually get an appointment within a day or two with a GP when you call. The structure of the IE health care system is most definitely in need of improvement but it does deliver considerably higher patient outcomes than the NHS. There is also a significantly smaller poverty gap in Ireland than the U.K. supported by greater educational equality- again definitely not perfect and in need of improvement. Comparatively, in IE , salaries are higher, cost of living higher , but educational equality and health outcomes also higher and wealth inequality lower . There are lots of things the U.K. does better as well so it’s not a zero sum competition.

No, that happens and most parents that I know tell the school in advance.

In most cases of poor attendance the parents are the problem, they don't value education and don't want the school "annoying" them.

You have to rack up about 25 days absence before Tusla would take any notice.

Taking kids out for holidays isn't seen as a huge deal, most parents would tell the school in advance, no fines or penalties for that.

Sorry that's speaking for primary. Secondary might be different.

TAs aren't paid well here because they don't have to have a qualification and they are not valued.

Teachers aren't valued, either.

Sad but true.

Children over 8 have to pay? Thats terrible, care should be free up to 18, or until 21 if go to university. Adults have choices and control, and can pay for private medical/get a job with medical cover. Children don't have this option.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health-services/gp-and-hospital-services/hospital-charges/#539493

People are not understanding…the €100 fee is only if you use a&e when you should be using a doctor or car centre etc. if you are admitted fee then the €100 fee is waived. Yes, there is a squeezed middle, but for the most afford they have a medical card with their care and for those who have private insurance (which is paid through employers a lot of the time) then they can claim it back. But essentially most care is free, if you have a broken leg and you won’t pay much because if you go to A&e, you won’t pay, you will be admitted. And you also don’t have to pay upfront it’s not a prerequisite to treatment at all.

No, you don't understand @Positivenancy.
People often need to go to a and e for care that does not require hospital admission...burns, broken limbs etc. You're not admitted for these unless very complicated.
Also for anaphylatic reactions etc...where several hours observation is required after the initial allergic reaction. In the case of anaphylaxis you are specifically instructed not to go to a gp first...emergency care is what's required. You are charged for this.

Is you aunt an Irish citizen? Because what you are detailing doesn't add up, just finished sorting the paperwork foe my ltw mother.

If your aunt was in public care she would have no charge now, up to 23 there was a limit of c. 600 per year . Palliative care is universally free, provided by hospice care.

The only way a charge would be have chosen private hospital care. Everyone is entitled to public care where the charge is now since 2023 removed. Below is the current details

https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/acute-hospitals-division/patient-care/hospital-charges/

My mother has the best of care spent c. 30 odd weeks in hospital and hospice of her last year of life and due to her having an income over the threshold had a total bill of e600. Excellent value I think you would agree.

Groceries on average 16% more here, see Central Statistics website. There may be anomalies on some products but as all my UK cousins tell us the Irish have better baked goods and meat, they bring a load of it back every visit 🤣. And don't get them started on the muck called Guinness over the pond.

Yes she is an Irish citizen, and yes she had private care. The wait for public health meant she would have had no chance of survival.

So that’s why she was charged…because she opted for private. Unfortunately, there are wait lists for some treatments but as I see on here all the time…the UK has those too!?

Cancer pathways are exceptionally quick, once diagnosed. Of course COVID knocked a lot on the head. But our own family experiences and three friends has been scanned, consultant and treatment plan within three weeks. I appreciate we are in Dublin and have easy access, that was breast cancer, and prostate,.so diagnostic access is widely available.

Though two relatives in the west were sent to Galway within the month also. So generally my experience has been positive. Though I appreciate that isn't everyone's experience, once you have the diagnostic the wheels kick in.

It is unfortunate your aunt didn't get access to the same.

It was an absolute sh!t show tbh. She went to her GP about 10 months with back pain, exhaustion etc, and the GP kept saying it was muscle pain. By the time she actually got diagnosed she was absolutely riddled with it and passed away a few months later as there wasn't much she could do unfortunately.

Al jobs are better paid in ROI

I am so sorry that is unbelievable. Even a simple blood test would have put her on the pathway.May she rest in peace, very sorry for your loss

Nope @Positivenancy most employers do not cover medical insurance. We paid an a+e visit with a baby who had a rash , it was around 6 years, I had rung my gp and he said to go in based on my description and I was absolutely charged and paid 100 euros . I had told them re gp and had a letter sent and the 100 euro was sent in the post. My husband and I (have good jobs-both part government), we do not get any medical insurance covered. We don’t qualify for medical cards, my 3 kids are over 8 so it is €60 to see a gp and a prescription charge on top so if l get a bad throat infection I will be paying €80 euros as would my kids.
I don’t get why some people try to dismiss the experiences of others , I only know one person whose medical insurance is paid for and they work for a private US pharmaceutical company. The rest pay for gp or pay their own insurance. Many people do not qualify for medical cards.

You might be entitled to gp visit cards though depending on your earnings.

www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/medical-cards-and-gp-visit-cards/examples-of-calculating-eligibility-for-gp-visit-card-for-under-70s/#719fa8

And bin collections!

@Positivenancy we aren’t entitled to medical cards unfortunately

I think it might balance out when you compare the monthly cost in UK of council tax and water rates versus health costs and bin collections in Ireland. There is a property tax but for the average 3 bed semi it's not huge. I know someone in Dublin and their PT is around 350 a year. Anyone know more?

Oh and renters don't pay the Property Tax in Ireland, but they do in UK.

I wish people would stop referring to the UK when they mean England.

Scotland teacher pays are higher. We don't have TAs. We have PSAs in the local authority that I work in. They are paid higher than TAs but it does not sound to me that they do the same job as such.

No water rates, there's a set charge for property tax based on the value of the house but each council has discretion to increase or decrease it by 15%. It's a pittance compared to the UK.

www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/tax/housing-taxes-and-reliefs/local-property-tax/