Ms Karina Tropman:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and committee members for inviting me to speak today. I am a 21-year-old from Mayo studying a BA in government at the University of Galway. The true measure of the success of any modern society is how it treats its most vulnerable and marginalised members and this must be a central part of the conversation as we look ahead to our constitutional future across the whole island of Ireland. The word "marginalised" refers to an individual or community prevented from participating fully in social, economic, and political life due to a lack of access to rights, resources and opportunities. Growing up I found myself categorised in two ways: Karina the foster child and Karina from Foróige. It gives me immense pride to be referred to as the latter. The word "marginalised" is not a term I could ever associate with being a young person in Foróige.

However, the same cannot be said for my experience of being a child of the Irish State. I entered foster care in 2008, where I remained until my 18th birthday, after which I transitioned into aftercare. Aftercare is a service provided by Tusla to aid young people in the transition from foster care into adulthood and independent living. It is a service I am extremely grateful for, as without it I would not have the means available to further my education or frankly survive in our current economy. However, it is vital that mental health support is urgently put at the forefront of this service. I have had a unique but not unusual experience in care, being moved from numerous homes, schools, counties and even provinces, all of which is incredibly difficult for a child to cope with and adapt to. The most stressful of these transitions happened during my leaving certificate year. I was informed two weeks before the academic year started that I would be moved into an apartment to live alone during this already stressful period of my life, as I had turned 18. I was also told that I would be transitioned from child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, to the adult service. However, this never happened, and I was yet again let down by the State.

In March 2020, when Covid-19 struck and we entered lockdown, I reached a crisis point. I have always struggled with my mental health, but this was a new low. I was left isolated for months on end with little to no communication from the agencies that are meant to support me. The support I received from my teachers was put on hold in light of predicted grades. Although I am eternally grateful for the help I got from my friends during this time, I felt I could never unload the truth about my deteriorating mental health to them. These were fellow 18- and 19-year-olds without the qualifications necessary to deal with the trauma and abandonment I was going through, nor should it have been their responsibility. Two years later I see no end in sight for those struggling. After a breaking point in my mental health on 1 May this year, I reached out to a nationwide service dedicated to helping the young people of Ireland, and the first available appointment was for 21 October, nearly six months later. This is frankly unacceptable.

The latest figures show there were 5,860 young people in the care system as of May 2022, and, in Northern Ireland in 2021, that figure was 2,857 young people active in foster care. It is the duty of the Irish Government to ensure that the resources are available that will enable these young people to find the confidence, knowledge and life skills necessary to survive independently and thrive. We cannot take for granted that young people will pick up these skills by chance or through a family structure that, unfortunately for many does not exist. Basic life skills programmes can equip my generation with the resources necessary to prepare them for whatever challenges life may bring.

At the core of my personal growth and development was feeling part of my community. It gave me purpose and encouragement and shaped me into the young woman I am today. Throughout Ireland we pride ourselves on the strength of our communities but we cannot say that we are truly working together if those communities do not adequately support those most in need. Today’s discussion of our constitutional future is an opportunity to reflect on the values and beliefs we hold most dear as a society, where the most marginalised individuals are at the heart of the future we want to build, and the legacy that you, the people in power, want to leave behind.