Community Services and Healthcare

OASIS (www.oasis.gov.ie)

OASIS is an Irish government information website and part of an initiative to make interacting with the public services easier and more accessible. If you are new to Ireland and need government information, OASIS is the place to look because it's designed to be user friendly. Instead of offering bureaucratic lists of government departments, the interface is set up to represent the various life events you may encounter while living in Ireland; and then steer you toward information relevant to each of these events.

OASIS can help with everything from registering a birth right through to claiming a pension. You can find out how to get a passport, renew your car tax or take legal action simply by logging on. If you are looking at moving to the Metropolitan Cork area, OASIS will be an invaluable source of information.

Healthcare

Public health service is administered by the Southern Health Board with hospital care provided at 4 locations in the city: St. Finbarr's Hospital, Erinville Hospital, St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital and Cork University Hospital. A new Regional Maternity Block opens shortly at the University Hospital (illustrated here), providing state-of-the-art pre and antenatal care.

The health board also provides community services. These range from Mother & Baby Clinics and care for the elderly, to Day Care Centres and special training for the mentally disadvantaged.