Ms Saoirse Smith:

I reiterate the point on access. I have been in many public spaces that have had steps and disabled toilets inside. This makes no sense. I had to be carried in. Recently, I was somewhere that had a disabled toilet but where the bars had been taken off the wall and the alarm had been removed. It just does not make sense. It is a safety issue. When I brought the matter to the attention of the manager of the place and said it was a safety issue and that someone was going to fall, he said he would look into it, which basically means he is not going to do anything.

On my employment, due to the fact that I am receiving a small amount of disability benefit, I am not entitled to any sick pay if I am off for longer than three months. I pay taxes. I am actually paying for my colleagues' sick pay, not my own.

I pay taxes, so that means I am paying for my colleagues' sick pay but not my own. I was told that because I receive a small amount of disability allowance, I am not entitled to it. I have regular injections for my spine because I suffer with chronic pain and I am out of work for a couple of weeks at a time because I need to recuperate. As with Mr. Nelson, my chair broke. The seat literally came off. I had to use a very old chair, my back was in excruciating pain and I had to work from home, which meant I could not be in the office. I was able to work from home but I need to be out. I could not go out and meet my friends and I could not meet my boyfriend. I could not do anything. I was relying on my mam. I am also constantly relying on her for hospital appointments. I went to the hospital recently and it was so outdated. The beds could not be lowered. I had to use a chair and my arms to pull myself up onto the bed. It was so old and it was not safe. The staff did not know how to work the beds. They nearly caused me to fall off the bed, to be honest. It was dangerous and I did not feel safe. I could not fit into any of the disabled toilets in that hospital to get the spinal injections I need.

I made a speech at the Minding Creative Minds summit in which I said that if I get a grant or win an award for any kind of artistic thing I do, my disability allowance will be taken into consideration and the Department will deduct the amount. People cannot avail of any of those things. There was an audible gasp from the 125 people present. They were shocked and appalled that this is the case. It should not be the case for artists, especially when they are relying on such awards to help further their careers. People who are in the arts cannot do that. I cannot do that. I went to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019. I was in debt of €2,000 and I had to pay that off with my disability money, which was only €205 at the time. I was broke and relying on my mam. I should not have to rely on my mam; I should be able to speak for myself.

This country has really let me down. In the 1990s, when we used to go on the bus, my dad would tell me not sit in the elderly spot because someone else needed it more than me. Now I am the person who needs that spot on the bus more than others, but I cannot get on the bus half the time. Like Mr. Nelson, I receive verbal abuse. Sometimes I am out on the streets, though I have fallen lately. I fell over and banged my knee and hurt my back, just after having spinal injections. That put me in jeopardy. The money is going into the wrong things when streets are being redeveloped. The old paths need to be fixed instead of building new things. The money is going into the wrong places and we are not thought of at all. I do not feel I am being treated like a human. I feel invisible. People call me an inspiration because I come here and talk, but I do not want to be seen as an inspiration. I want to be seen as just me. You are nice people but I do not want to have to come in and talk to you. I want to be listened to, heard and seen.