Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 14 Sep 2023
I’M A 36-YEAR-OLD Biology and Science Teacher. I moved to the UK ten years ago with the dream of studying a Masters in Wildlife Conservation having spent some time working in a wildlife sanctuary in Central America.
After two years in the UK, I began working in a school doing a similar role as an SNA here and then moved up to a role in behaviour management. The salary, the opportunity to train as a Science teacher in the school I worked in and a £26,000 bursary from the UK government meant it made sense to train as a teacher there. And it only took a year. It meant I could also register to teach in Ireland and pretty much anywhere in the world.
Covid was tough in England as a teacher. The school system is demanding enough already and the workload is heavy without a pandemic adding to it. As well as this, when you live abroad for work purposes only, it’s difficult to connect with a community, so you tend to miss home a lot. Add a pandemic to the mix and it was zero joy.
As with most people, work became more challenging in Covid. I was isolated from friends and the lockdowns were taking their toll.
The stress of teaching in England only got worse when Covid rules ended and we went back to normal. I had been accepted to the masters and planned to do it part-time while working. But teaching full-time got the better of me and so in January 2022, I had had enough. I was burnt out and worn out and I really missed home. I decided to come back to Ireland.
I figured the housing crisis wasn’t as bad as the media made it out to be. I’d get a job and figure it out. I’d be around friends and family again.
In September 2022 I began a six-month maternity cover position at a school that had a great reputation. I felt reinvigorated and really excited about the change. The staff were great, the kids were great, the workload was manageable and being a teacher made sense again.
That’s when the financial issues began for me. I was Emergency taxed for my first three paychecks. I know this happens in all sectors but staff at the payroll department for the Department of Education said it was just the way it was and that I’d get the money back anyway.
That’s all well and good but it really assumes that we, the employees have an endless backup of savings/rainy day money to tide us over, but most don’t have that luxury. I was beginning to struggle financially by now, bills were getting hard to meet as I was working but wasn’t receiving full pay. It should be noted that this never happened in any job I worked in in the UK.
In Britain, you register, you get paid your agreed salary and you get on with your life.
I got on with it and was happy to be home and really determined to give it a go here in Ireland again. Then a couple of months after settling in, I stopped getting paid altogether. Post Primary Payroll said they hadn’t received confirmation of the hours I had been working. I brought this up with the school and they were furious with Payroll. I was told there was an IT error on the payroll portal and that it would be fixed. It took six weeks of arguing with them, much of it in the run-up to Christmas – this was weeks of donating energy to simply getting my salary. I was grateful that throughout this I was again surviving on support from family.
Those few weeks of simply trying to get paid were a real reminder of just how difficult it is to live independently as a teacher in this country. I was back living in my childhood bedroom because it is impossible for a single adult on a teaching salary to rent or buy anywhere in Dublin while having to ask family for a loan just adds insult to injury.
If I had been renting or paying a mortgage while waiting for my teaching salary to be paid I would have been in serious trouble. What I found interesting is that nobody in officialdom seemed to think it urgent. ‘Sure, wouldn’t I get it all back anyway’ was the attitude.
Things settled down for another few months and I thought that was the end of it. It was not. Suddenly one month, no pay for me because my hours were not logged, I was told. I pushed back saying this was unacceptable and I had to argue and fight with them until a senior member of Payroll agreed to do a bank transfer so I would receive what I was owed. I was fast learning that ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease’ in this regard.
When the maternity cover I was working on ended I stepped into another bureaucratic minefield… the life of a substitute teacher. I was delighted to be offered work in a special school and told I’d be paid the secondary teacher rate but this wasn’t the case and I was on a reduced rate.
By this point, I was so fed up. I had really begun to question what I had done moving back to Ireland and why I was trying to make a proper go of this teaching career. I knew there was a housing crisis causing so much trouble at home but I really couldn’t have prepared myself for just how broken the teaching system would be.
It just doesn’t seem to function and through these months, it was one thing trying to get a proper salary paid but as the school year ended and we got closer to summer, I also found out just how tough it would be to qualify for the social welfare that substitute teachers are entitled to in summer. Numerous teaching colleagues told me it would be a struggle to register for Social Welfare. Seemingly, Payroll would have to stamp forms for teachers claiming the dole and it would take them months to do it. I was also told it takes the Department of Social Welfare up to six weeks to approve the pay.
I requested a meeting with Payroll over the repeated issues with my pay and didn’t really get anywhere. I pushed on the social welfare issue and in the end, they stamped my forms immediately because I had kicked up such a fuss. Handed the forms in and heard nothing for a month. Followed up then and it appeared someone in Social Welfare had forgotten to send them off! I cannot tell you just how frustrated I was by then as I was again surviving on support from my family. After the forms were sent off it was another 2-3 weeks until I’d hear if I was going to get Job Seekers.
At the time of writing, the new school term is up and running and I have still not received any word regarding social welfare payments. That’s the whole summer gone and not a penny. What incentive is there for young teachers to want to stay here and follow through with this career choice? I came back to this country to make a go of teaching, a career that I love. I also came back to be close to friends and family. But it’s just such a struggle – I have no more savings left and I owe my family money for loans borrowed through the summer.
I live in my childhood bedroom because rent is unaffordable and even if I could get a mortgage, I won’t find anything I can afford to buy.
I love teaching in Ireland and my school is fantastic and really supportive, but it’s difficult to live as a teacher, especially when you’re single. Substituting and doing maternity cover contracts are downright hazardous for your financial and mental well-being in my experience. Every year, teachers across Ireland experience the same issues I have faced. I know this because I talk to so many of them. Everyone seems to have a Payroll and Social Welfare story. If this government were to be truly honest with themselves and us, they’d admit that teaching as a career fell into decline around the time of the austerity measures, whereby those teachers qualified post-2011 get paid less for doing the same job as teachers who qualified pre-2011.
I doubt I’ll stay in Ireland. It’s too expensive and basic public services like health and housing are a mess. Something is really wrong in a country as wealthy as ours where the very basics just do not function.
I work in a job that traditionally provides stability and a future but all I’ve experienced is massive levels of incompetence and dysfunction when trying to sort the simplest of things like just getting paid on time.
It’s like we’re stuck as a country, frozen in our ability to face the realities or fix the problems. The government just seems indifferent to it all. We have so much money but no will from the political class to address so many things that are failing in our society. They will bail out banks, look after vulture funds, bail out RTÉ etc. but they will never properly look after regular working people. The system is broken and they won’t fix it.
It’s more than two years since I returned home and I’m already worn out by it. I don’t want to be a negative person complaining about my country but I can’t escape the feelings of frustration, the lack of hope around finding a secure place to live and having no faith in the political system to properly run the country in a grown-up way that supports citizens. I think I’m done.
Written by a young teacher based in Dublin. The author wished to remain anonymous. The Department of Education has told The Journal that it does not comment on individual cases. It said that it relies on schools to provide the necessary information in a timely manner to set teachers up for salary.
What about the Cross roads of honesty in Government and the Leaked documents..
We do our bit but Government can’t?
@Sportmad: that’s an endless roundabout of greyness and confusion.. Much like the crazy, famous one in Paris that leads up from the Champs Eleysee
@Sportmad: careful now you’ll be accused of being obsessed/paranoid!
@Sportmad: we have been at a crossroads so many times. It has already been a year. We have had the longest lockdown in the world.
@Brian Madden: it’s already done. It used to be just cranks that didn’t care anymore now it’s regular people who can’t take anymore. The regular doommongering communication from NPHET & Co. with no end in sight even with a vaccine has everyone driven demented… except for me…
@Sportmad: absolutely. Leaked documents, any other country he would go to jail. But instead he will be head of government in the next couple of years
Here’s a plea to you MM…….. Focus on your own actions and job as both need some serious improvement, before you can turn on Joe Public
@Nigel o’Neill: if only he didn’t have a position of leadership over said Joe Public and it wasn’t a job requirement to advise.
For sure, ignore if you like but our elected leader is just that, whether we voted for him or not.
@Nigel o’Neill: Adolf Martin ,,please ,, he open the country up in December ,, then closed it ,, over 2000 deaths ,, he’s as guilty along with Leo an Ryan
@Nigel o’Neill: But But that’s political. We politicians don’t respond or do political as you all well know.
@Fozz: Leadership!! When did he ever show any kind of Leadership. Must have been asleep that day.
@Fozz: having a position of leadership and showing leadership are two completely different things my friend. If that is lost on you now, I’m sure it’s something you will learn in time
@Franny Ando: you were probably seeing your friends again down the pub that day… Oh wait…
@Mill Miller: No NPHET is responsible for the Xmas debacle by moving country from level 3 to 5. It was a knee jerk reaction by Holohan that backfired spectacularly. We all suffered for his ineptitude.
@Franny Ando: I never said he did.
But do make up more falsehoods and argue against them if it helps.
@Nigel o’Neill: Have no idea what you wittering about unfortunately.
We been “at cross roads” for a while now. Why don’t you give us a good clear picture of where we are and a REAL plan on how are we getting out of this!
@Deathwish: yep.. Exactly.. Well said! How about some leadership and something to get some hope about from you MM.. And get your your Minister for Health sorted or put someone in place to properly manage the vaccination rollout that is currently shambolic and just adding further anxiety and misery to a very fatigued and mentally suffering public
@Nigel o’Neill: feels like they are reviewing this on a weekly basis only and “see how things develop”.
@Deathwish: I don’t know when they are actually reviewing anything. It’s either weekly, monthly or we get it… L4 in April and L3+ at the end of May (without review)
We are at a crossroads for the last 6 months its constant doom and gloom between the goverment and nphet
Stop turning the country into a giant prison then where only parts of the population have had their means of income removed while you lot and your civil servants remain unaffected financially by your decrees
@Marc Power: were all in this together my a r s e
If mehole had managed an invite from Biden he would of been on the 1st plane out of here. Anytime his face appears it should come with a health warning
@Barry Lee: thetes a serious want in him, right enough
@Barry Lee: and if there was no sars-cov-2 virus we wouldn’t be in this mess. Ifs and buts make irrelevant points.
@NotMyIreland: So you’re blaming Sars-CoVid-2 for MM’s incompetence? Fair play, that’s one hell of a leap you took…
Using road analogies it feels more like we’re up a cul-de-sac rather than at a crossroads…
@William Tallon: At least a cul-de-sack has a beginning and an end…….feels more like a roundabout these past 6 months.
@Davey Ohanlon: At this stage I think the only analogy anyone will be interested in hearing from both him and NPHET is ‘we’ve finally turned the corner’…
Says the man who had his bags packed for America..
Perhaps if beer gardens etc could open in a very safe and controlled manner max 4 per table and ask people to stick with people from their own household’s/bubbles, people would be more than willing to avoid mixing inside homes.
Telling people to stay at home, look out the window and twiddle their thumbs doesn’t work for most people anymore and even more casual meet ups inside homes will happen tomorrow as a consequence of everything else being illegal outside of homes.
Sorry NPHET, I have no idea how human behaviour psychologists aren’t telling them this
“Fine Gael need to come out of government, they’ve been there too long, they haven’t delivered on key issues such as housing, health and the impact of cost of living on many people. The people want a new government, that means a completely new government.” Michael Martin January 2020
Micheal Martin and this government have lost what little credibility they had. It’s time for a general election.
@Declan Doherty: In a “Pandemic,” now there is someone who thinks things out. What a clever chappie.
We’ve heard it all before Michael ! Every cliche in the book . How many times have we been at this “crossroads” you talk about ? You’ve lost the buy in of the public at this stage !!
@Margaret Henry: yes indeed!
@Margaret Henry: it’s like a broken record now. Always the same how much more do they expect us to take before we all crack up. They have no regard for peoples mental health or loneliness. Don’t expect anything on 5th April if people are not vaccinated.
@Margaret Henry: only the once!! We never left it haha! We cant when government has no plan but to vaccinate and beg other countries for leftovers. ;) he has lost the public, or most anyway but..regardless of all that..
honest question- isnt it just the greatest little country we have here???
the likes of its people you just wont find!
we’ve all endured a serious amount of sh.te but we played and continue to play a blinder driving numbers down, protecting our neighbours and strangers alike, all while the big G actively played at driving numbers and variants up with inaction and looking after vested interests, along with that t.t foster vito-ing our first lockdown-Playing against those odds arent easy at all!! But check us out!! :)
I think MM is a sli..ball and most politicians are so screw what he has to say as irish society rarely have their real interests invested in and are usually exploited, or i believe anyway, but the people, man, ye are just deadly!!!!
i think so anyway!
look at all we’ve gone through and achieved for eachother this past year?
And still giving so much to charity and needy causes throughout the hardships!
Amazing, im so proud to be a part of that.
Even if its still really hard for some or many, i hope tomorrow we all have a good time as safely and responsibly as we can and maybe share a thought for the good we’ve done and of course the ones who sadly lost loved ones throughout. Its been a crazy time
Its a little early and fup MM et al, but happy paddy’s day, im gona have a wee toast tomorrow to every one of you, maybe youll join me ? I hope you all have some fun :) we deserve it, and just from this nobody here, i wanna say, thank you for all your continued efforts, we’ll get there and ill surely never forget it. Cheers folks :)
Call it a “protest for womens rights” and you can have a parade ;)
The next 2 weeks are crucial….. we are all in this together ….March 2024
@Aonghus O Flaherty: what does that even mean!?
@Nigel o’Neill: it means this is not going to end any time soon but I think you already know that.
@John brett: ‘in it together’ .. Just empty rhetoric that means zero and has proven to be the case at all points in this…much like the latest ‘plan’
@Aonghus O Flaherty: Very good Aonghus, gave me a laugh, unfortunately it went straight over Nigel’s head.
@Nigel o’Neill: How in God’s name do people think playing dense for the sake of an argument actually works… You knew full-well what that meant!
The cheeks this man has to comment on a safe way to celebrate that day…
No self awareness at all
We’ve been at a crossroads since 2 weeks to flatten the curve, more like a roundabout of incompetence and fear mongering.
Government advice is unwelcome.
Could we not make political comments and just come together… Stay safe and get to the other side of this…
Martin is right on this one…
@Cowboy Paddy: they still don’t have a plan or roadmap and the vaccination targets are now being downgraded to ‘estimates’. So MM would be best off keeping his preaching and pleaing to himself. The CSO report published just yesterday confirms there hasn’t been any rises in mobility in the general public, plus hospital numbers are way down, almost 80% on mid January.. So the people don’t need any more preaching or pleas.. They need an actual leader and a plan that tells people what they can do, safely, over the coming weeks and how things will reopen.. As opposed to constantly being told what we cannot do. They need a leader to ensure that if the vaccination rollout is the main or only way back to a ‘normality’, then get it delivered instead of the current shambles
@Nigel o’Neill: what more could the government do on vaccinations, without vaccines?
@NotMyIreland: you’ve obviosuly not read up or listened to the many many problems that have been encountered in actually getting the ones available into peoples arms!
GPs reporting that double doses have been sent to them, in some cases and the extra having to be binned in some cases.. Other cases a shortfall or none have been delivered to GPs on the days they were scheduled for… Shall I continue..!?
@Nigel o’Neill: do you know the numbers involved? I am aware of isolated instances but had missed it if there is a widespread failing. But I may well have missed it, so I would love if you could continue please?
Oh the hypocrisy of it..while he is allowing hundreds of people from restricted countries into Ireland again this summer to pick fruit for Keeling! The man is a joke…I can only assume the fruit goes well with what he is.. Honestly it beggers belief.
@Celia Murphy: yea they should of force the long term social welfare layabouts to get off their homes and work for a change , not I said long term , I don’t mean the people forced out of work because of the lockdown
@Brian Carr: “We are all in this together”
@Brian Carr:
I totally agree with you Brian, there is now a third generation of people who never worked, get them off @rses and make them contribute. On the other side are the Politians that take, take, take. Mick Martin, um, eh, ah, it was resting in my wife’s Bank account. Dimmy Dooley and others not even bothering to turn up for work? Clocking each other in. Millionaire’s all. These People need a good shake up. Both sides.
@Brian Carr: Well concerning the part time Taoiseacht Michael Martin stated there was no bank bailout, just wondering how the taxpayer have repaid Billions of Euros and Billions still to be repaid by our Grandchildren, Yet you comment on a small percentage who abuse the system. In the context of what we have repayed and will still have to pay for the gangsterism of the banks facilitated by politicians who again are in power ..People that abuse the system is the least of our worries.
And now they’ve confirmed they’ve missed the target for having a proper hotel based quarantining system setup, off the back of the new legislation passed two weeks ago.. Worse, Shambles Donnelly says they have no clear date when it will be operational
@Nigel o’Neill: They never wanted to implement this. Leo in particular has been against it all along. They can enact laws in 24/48 hours when it suits them. They’re showing 2 fingers to the nation on this issue.
Where’s me vaccine so I can scarper outa here.
Save it. Nobody listening to the government anymore
What a muppet open the country
@Fran O’Keeffe: That’s a great idea Fran, open her up. Pubs, hotels, retail. Brothels even. Concerts, football, the whole thing. Don’t mind that cases will skyrocket, the frontline staff will be overwhelmed and people will die. Sure even if people die they would have died in a couple of years anyway. Don’t worry about long term Covid, all a rumour anyway. Open her up because it’s all or nothing to some people which is why we are where we are. When we could actually have a semblance of normality if we did respect this bug. We could have all retail open with guidelines, same with society in general. But no because a minority will always feel that it’s up to someone else to make the sacrifice. Good man, open up.
@Fran O’Keeffe: For too many the country has been open, that’s the problem, the ones who are observing the rules are balanced by the ones who are ignoring the rules, we all see it all the time.
The continuation of harsh measures is wearing thin amongst the ones who have been observing the rules and it’s not helped by seeing the ones who don’t seem to care just doing whatever they want.
If those people break it’s all over.
They need to make clear what will relax in less than three weeks and hope that it’s enough for people to hold on.
@Bert Carolan: thanks
We live in such in a wonderful country, the amount of freedom we enjoy even through lockdown, that we can go outside on a day like today and feel the sunshine on our skin, to feel that warmth, and to take in the fresh air.
Sadly in places around the world such as Myanmar, such freedoms do not exist, the Junta shooting dead protestors, the occupation of hospitals, it’s such a sad situation.
Being asked to adhere to guidelines is not tyranny, that is not oppression as much as some people, want to feel oppressed so badly.
And as for the selfish sbags who, because they feel entitled to march on O’Connell street, means charities who feed the most vulnerable in society who come to be fed and eat in peace with others can’t do that.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Well said.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: but this is not Myanmar
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Whataboutry as usual .. comparing Ireland to Myanmar when it suits you and then you dismiss others when they compare other countries.
You are not the people.
Are you calling the women from the ‘Reclaim the streets’ protest on O’Connell St today sbags too ?.
And fyi , im off to get a couple bottles of Irish whiskey as heading to mates for a few drinks here in Zurich as rules were relaxed on Mar 1st
@Valentine Kane: Tyranny comparison.
@Da Dell: Tyranny da dell. comparing tyranny. Proved my point though, you live a privileged life that you will never have to face real tyranny.
@Da Dell: Ahhh Da Dell, they weren’t at the GPO shouldn’t put words in my mouth, they left when asked to by the gardai. The reason said charities cannot operate tomorrow is because of the protest. Not because of today. NO because of tomorrow, but you go on da dell make your little snide remarks :)
@Ally Mc Culladgh: https://twitter.com/AedDubh these people DaDell
@Ally Mc Culladgh: You have no point .. you compared tyranny to find something worse than Ireland .. Nothing privileged about my life, I have worked damn hard to support myself and my family as best i can in these trying times, I applied for transfer here the day that 3 ring circus of a gov was formed as I knew it would have been a disaster for me, every day since has proved me correct, have been lucky to work, earn more money and pay less tax for a effective Civil/Public Service and Government. Its the Swiss who are privileged to have Direct Democracy where Politicians are held to account for their actions, no one here is playing Politics with the Pandemic to boost their careers.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Seem like you are also a bit like Leo who cant remember what you say
I quote you “And as for the selfish sbags who, because they feel entitled to march on O’Connell street “
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Homeless Soup Kitchen @gardain fo
has advised them not to operate tomorrow due to expected violence from right-wing anti lockdown protests. Leaving Dublin’s rough sleepers without dinner and essential rap around services.
And my god, how dare you compared the peaceful protest today, respectful to the gardai, wore masks, socially distanced and left when asked to what happened a couple of weeks ago.
I feel sorry for you that you can’t see the difference.
@Da Dell: Yes TOMORROW.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: so compare our 100 year old democracy to a volatile South East Asian basket case… Great job
@Da Dell: My context was about tomorrow, you’re meant to be an intelligent person, I suspect you know what I was talking about but choose to ignore it, that’s ok.
@Nigel o’Neill: Tyranny Nigel.
@Da Dell: I compared being asked to adhere to the guidelines as not tyranny and gave example what what real tyranny is, come on da dell keep up, you’re meant to be smart.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Its hard to know which parts of your whataboutry to ignore .. you say stuff, they say you meant something else ..
I haven’t a clue what you are on about most of the time anyways, I ad just read the article “Dublin following murder of Sarah Everard” about yours and then you are on about *bags on on O’Connell st ..
People can either protest or they cannot not ..
what they are protesting about should not be the deciding factor ,whether one agrees with whatever is being protested or not else its like that Myanmar place you love to reference .. now I am late, so good eveing
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Wow, didn’t realise we have so much freedom. We can even go outside. What more could you possibly want?
@Da Dell: It’s easy DaDell, article is about St Patrick’s day. My comments were in relation to the protests marches on O Connell street tomorrow, preventing a soup kitchen from operating, a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless.
To surmise.
Tomorrow Patricks Day.
Protests on O Connell Street
Preventing a homeless service from operating.
Hope that clears it up for you :)
@mar: You will live to see another day Mar, others won’t.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: how long ally??
Give me a timeline for how long your willing to do it? An exact number that you think at which point it’s a case of saving life for no standard of life.
Even a vaccination target. ?
Some ppl have spent the last year of there life Locked away from everybody and anything they ever cared about.
Doctors and nurses are saying hospitals have never been as empty at this time of year.
Nobody chooses to be born here. Yes we are very lucky to be. But we should both be guilted for the wanting the one shot we have at life to be some what decent with some choice and enjoyments.
This country and its ppl have given more than most.
They need clear information about why decisions are being made. We are not robots who follow commands.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Please you are getting embarrassing now. Stop when your behind because the hole you are digging is getting bigger and bigger.
We are without effective leadership but the very last thing we need now is a surge.
Let’s do the right thing by each other tomorrow.
More like a roundabout
No faith in this government, how can we be expected to follow them when they are so corrupt. We all know Leo (self appointed taoiseach for life) works mehole like a puppet and they both need to go, slimey toads that they are.
Get the vaccine going let people get back to work lockdown is not working and everyone is sick and tired of all the lies we are been told
Get off your Cork h o l e and do something for a change.
Let’s enjoy St. Patrick’s day in are Owen way and keep safe it’s bin a long year
We’re doing our bit but when will get off the pot
This is all you ever hear from these so called leaders of society, we are at a crossroads, standing at the precipice, the situation is precarious, honestly it’s an absolute joke, and people are sick and tired of it.
This from a guy who was all ready to go off to the USA to toady up to its new President only for the wisdom of the Americans to not issue an invitation.
the next 2 weeks are crucial, flatten the curve, we are all in this together. oh j
why just vacant you just shut up
Question, after 12 months + people are saying that it not the right time to protest about lock downs. What is the right time?18 months , 24 months , 36 months?
It’s a pity he didn’t recognise the crossroads we were at in early December we might not be in this mess. You remember, the one NPHET warned them about, involving opening hospitality alongside allowing household visits.
We’ve been at a crossroads in the last year. Getting tired of it now
We are at the crossroads since last year and we are all piled in a mess , the Government have let us down I’m afraid,and they must help us clear the way forward.
Want something to do while at home on Paddies day? Go to http://www.shamrave.ie – A virtual St Patricks day Video on Demand Dance music festival that can be enjoyed safely at home.There are a few tickets left. all proceeds being donated to Make-A-Wish Ireland! Featuring 20 Irish & international DJs.
Like they had a meaningful christmas, people don’t want to know what you have to say.
The hypnotised following the e v i l. The fairy tale of the pied piper of Hamelin in endless repetition througout history
We’re waiting in the tail grass for this useless government parties
We’ve done our suffering
Never voted SF
But they can’t be any worse than the lame ducks
It will be a clear overall majorly SF government
have your say