Privatisation and outsourcing.

mariaalice

Is there an overt privatisation agenda in some of the departments or party's driven by policy or has it all happened by accident? something I doubt.

Brucie Bonus

Its likely one of the reasons they let health fester and will not implement slaintecare. Its also likely why housing is the way it is.

Either that or successive governments have been awful for no reason.

Jequ0n

…

ohnonotgmail

Privitisation? It is a topic I would prefer to hedge my bets on.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759938#Comment_118759938

So you support hedge funds?

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759862#Comment_118759862

So a privatised services run by, some investment conglomerate is the answer? catering, prisons, and property one day, billions from the dep of health to run what should be publicly provided services the next day?

mariaalice

Individuals cant be discharged from hospitals in some parts of Dublin because the outsourcing of home care pays so badly they can't get staff.

Mike Murdock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058236658/privatisation-and-outsourcing

It's not just the Private sector.

Successive Governments have outsourced social care and support services to the NGO Industrial Complex too.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760069#Comment_118760069

Regrettable, but it’s the individuals’ problem really? Who else do you expect to pay for home help and the likes?

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760028#Comment_118760028

No. A decent government that puts the tax payer first is the best option. Setting services up to fail so we need rely on private business seems to be how FF/FG operate.

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760078#Comment_118760078

Well, who should be providing the services then? jobs in the NGO than to be well(ish) paid and secure and don't forget the not-for-profit aspect.

The for-profit service offer insecure low paid work, allowing them to make millions for the owner or investors.

Brucie Bonus

I know the same company cleans the four courts also has contracts with the US penal system. Not forgetting Dock Cheyney owning shares in the toll road, or did we buy him out?

Great little country to do business in etc...

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759862#Comment_118759862

Yep, masterminded by the tax paying voters who don’t want to pay more. There is no magic about it, people who claim gross mismanagement is public services have never even been responsible for managing the company tea trolley never mind a sizable organization but they are certain it can be done for less and are unwilling to pay more. Politicians need to do what ever it takes to get elected so privatization and outsourcing is the only logical conclusion.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760643#Comment_118760643

Shhh... The adults are talking.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760699#Comment_118760699

They are either **** at their job or rigging it so we need private.

People will pay for quality. We get low quality and still get rode.

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760795#Comment_118760795

You've just proved what markodaly highlighted.

BrianD3

Not sure why the OP edited the part of their post about delayed hospital discharges and homecare. Edit: nevermind, that part was in a subsequent post, apologies.

The shambles that is homecare is very relevant to any discussion about privatisation and outsourcing. I don't know if the major problems with this essential public service are due to politicians and senior public servants being useless or due to an agenda to run down services and outsource them. A combination of both I suspect.

I have experience of carers from private agencies, NGOs and directly employed by the HSE. There are problems with all three. The HSE is inept when it comes to managing contracts with private service providers. Complaints about poor service result in a "shur what can we do" response. Also, claims that the problems would not arise if HSE was given the resources to provide the service directly. However, my experience of care provided directly by the HSE staff is that there are big problems there too.

Leaving aside homecare, I worked in the public service for many years and saw it from the inside. I never perceived there to be an overt privatisation agenda. However, since the financial crisis there seems to be an obsession with not replacing retired/resigned staff unless it's a "trendy" area and many essential public services are far from trendy. Don't hire people. Treat staff like they are a burden. String them along with acting up positions and short term contracts. Keep loading more and more work onto existing staff. When the inevitable happens and a poor service is provided, use that as justification for outsourcing. Setup to fail, in other words. Of course the individuals in power won't outsource themselves, just other people. They would happily run public services down to nothing as they'll get their fat pensions no matter what happens.

Ten of Swords

@Brucie Bonus threadbanned

Jim2007

Nope you are getting what you paid for. Ireland ranks about 12th, above for example the UK, Canada, Japan and the US. Now you can spend all the time you like arguing that stats are wrong, the managers are all incompetent, the drugs companies are ripping us off and that you are blessed with insight none of the rest of us have, but it will not change a thing. If you want to move higher in the rankings you will need to pay more.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760712#Comment_118760712

mariaalice

To me, the issue is that it sounds like a good idea to some people, privatising services is simply, a good set of KIP that the privatised services have to perform to keep the contract there are bound to be more efficient and cheaper that is the narrative anyway.

Except for the fact that the contracted-out services are costing the state billion are not value for money, service providers are being brought by investment companies a sure sign that they see money to be made.