Ms Wendy Newman:

Bear with me for a moment, please, because sometimes it is hard for me to find the words for things. There are two things I wish to speak about. One is the bus pass and the second is the difference for me monetarily now that I am working and have a job.

On the bus pass issue, before my accident I drove everybody everywhere and it was my independence, even if it was just to go out into the car and turn on Radio Nova, to have a singsong and get away from everybody. This is what I did. That took away my independence. Before I got my bus pass, as I said, I was transporting everybody.

When I had my accident, however, I was not able to drive and was relying on everybody. When people were dropping children to school, we had to take time out and do a rota for me so that I could get a lift to get to the places that I needed to go to and I was dependent on everybody. I had such joy when I got my bus pass. This is my key to the outdoor world and I do not have to ask anybody. It did not come easily at all and I had to go through a great deal of paperwork to prove many things. I had to pay doctors €50 just to sign a form, money I had to borrow. My ask is to please make the bus pass available for life. I am going to have my disability for life and this will make my life easier but the main thing is that I will have peace of mind.

Second, the NLN gave me the initiative and the help to go out to get a job. This was a delight and the people in the area that I work in are all understanding, reasonable and just lovely people. They would do anything for you. When I got my first pay cheque, what did the Government do? It did not take all but it took a big chunk of my money in tax. I am not sure why this was so or where to go to find out why. At the Citizens Information bureau, one goes in, gets a ticket and is waiting for hours and that does not help.

I also lost my invalidity pension just like that. I got a letter before my first week was over informing me that it was being taken off me. I was happy because I know now that I do not have to get my bus pass renewed until 2025. That gives me some time but the money I have in my pocket was greater when I was on the invalidity pension than it is when I am working now. The real reason I am working is for my mental health. I can get out and socialise. When Covid-19 was going on, I was in the NLN doing a course with the wonderful James Conroy and was socialising with people.

He sorted out where we were broken into two groups. One group worked from home on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other group worked in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays and we mixed it up in that way, which was very good. Where am I going with this?