With social and community services coming under increasing pressure as austerity continues, Unfinished Business examines how social policy has operated in Ireland and how it has been affected by consistent government cutbacks. It examines a wide range of issues important to social care students, such as poverty, homelessness, disability, immigrants, mental health and many other issues pertinent to Irish society today. This book: Is the first Irish social policy textbook written for social care studentsPoses important questions about not only social policy approaches but also policy failings, and makes the case for a move towards social policy regulationIs useful to students from other disciplines, such as community work, early childhood studies, nursing, addiction studies and child protection studiesIs written in a clear and accessible style and laid out in a user-friendly manner The book is aimed at undergraduate students in social studies, social science and public administration, and will also prove useful to practitioners who seek to broaden their understanding of social care.