LSU (Commissioned reports)

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    Traveller Health: A Research Project to develop an Action plan for the Mid-Western Health Board
    (NIHS, 2003-06) Healy, Caroline
    Research has shown that Travellers do not share similar health status to the settled population. The 1996 Population Census showed that only 1.3% of Travellers were over 65 years compared to 11.4% of the general population while 75% of the Traveller population was aged under 25 years. This compares to an age pyramid of a developing country. Other alarming statistics of note include: • Traveller men live on average 10 years less than settled men; • Traveller women live on average 12 years less than settled women; • Infant mortality rate is 18.1 per 1000 live births compared to 7.4 per 1000 live births in the settled population; • The still birth rate in the Travelling Community is twice the national average; • The Sudden Infant Death rate is 12 times the national average. Thus, Travellers are now only reaching the life expectancy that settled Irish people reached in the 1940s. The importance of improving the health status of Travellers in Ireland has been placed high on the government’s agenda with the recent publication by the Department of Health and Children of ‘Traveller Health - A National Strategy 2002- 2005’. While past government policy has advocated assimilation of Travellers into the settled community, this resulted in a culturally inappropriate health service to meet the substantial health needs of Travellers. The new national strategy provides a new approach to dealing with Traveller health which is based on a community development approach which aims to empower Travellers to look after their health.
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    An evaluation of the Targeted initiative on access of mature Students in Ireland
    (2001) Healy, Caroline
    This Report contains the results of two separate, but interlocking, studies on the access and provision for mature students in Irish higher Education • An evaluation of the Higher Education Authorities targeted initiative in the area of mature student access • A survey offering a profile of particular targeted groups and seeking their views on existing provision and on possible developments of places for mature students The two studies are to provide a basis for the HEA in advising the Department of education and Science (DES) on the demand for mature student places. The research was undertaken during the period December 2000 to April 2001. However, work on the project was extended until October 2001 in an effort to increase the response of the student survey.
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    Achieving equity of access to higher education in Ireland, the case for travellers
    (2005) Healy, Caroline; Binchy, James
    This study contains the results of two separate, but connected, studies on the access and provision for Traveller students in education in Ireland: • A review of existing policy documentation pertaining to Traveller education provision in Ireland contained within Chapter 1 of this document • A qualitative research study profiling Travellers who have accessed third level education which sought their views on existing provision and on possible developments of places for Traveller students contained within Chapter 2 of this document The two studies provided a basis for the comprehensive recommendations regarding achieving equity of access to higher education in Ireland, and for developing a best practice model for academic support for Traveller students contained within Chapter 3 of this document.
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    Evaluation of pre-university programme
    (2005) Healy, Caroline
    Introduction. In the period of November 2004 – February 2005, the pilot Pre-University Programme, run in partnership with the Adult and Community Education Programme of County Limerick Vocational Education Committee (VEC) and the Learner Support Unit of Mary Immaculate College, was completed. The programme was designed as a ‘stepping-stone’ to university access programmes such as Mary Immaculate’s Foundation Certificate: Higher Education for Adult Learners. The focus group conducted as part of the evaluation suggested that approximately 50% of the students from the programme intend to apply for the Foundation Certificate with other students pursuing access courses in different universities. The pilot programme took place in Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick. It began with fifteen students, fourteen of whom completed the course, ten with merit. This programme targeted adult learners over the age of 22 years, many of whom came from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds. It was delivered on an outreach basis in order to break the cycle of disadvantage and marginalisation that can persist in communities and families for generations.