Ms Blair Anderson:

I thank Senators for all their comments, which are greatly appreciated. Senator Boyhan spoke about the system being built the way it is. It goes a lot deeper for me than housing but that is the topic about which I am passionate. In the North of Ireland, we have a points system whereby people can get a house. Young people are struggling to articulate their difficulties and struggles and some are blind to what has been happening to them. We are setting young people up to fail from the get-go because they are not meeting the standard targets and doing the tick-box exercises they need to do to get a property.

There are so many barriers placed before young people, from access to benefits to no support for those who go out to work. There is no support for young people who do not do well in mainstream education to go somewhere else and get the teaching they need. We are not taught from a young age how to manage and sustain a lifestyle. Our education system is failing young people. For me, that is where it starts. It starts with education and goes from there. If we are not preparing young people for how to deal with and challenge decision-makers and policymakers and to have an input into things, we are setting them up to fail. We need a system that gives equality for all. It does not matter if you have mental health or substance misuse issues; you should have the option to get a property. The issues in the North at the minute are diabolical even if you do not have a mental health problem or a child to look after. Access to housing is very limited. That is the way the system is built. The Government is putting systems in place that are failing young people and other generations.