Ms Kelly Anne Byrne:

I thank the committee for inviting me here today and for enabling my input and experience to be heard to be able to create change together. I am a lone parent with four children and I am also a carer due to three of my four children having additional care needs. I have experienced first hand that there are huge gaps in government around what is implemented and what practically works for us lone parents and carers. I believe in trying to be the role model for my children that I can be. While being a parent and a carer is already a full-time job in itself, I am still determined to achieve my dreams and goals in life and show my children that they too can break through the poverty barriers and become anything they want to be and live a life and have a career of their choice that they want or love. With hard work and determination and the right structure and support around them, which actually work, they do not feel they have to settle on social welfare or live in poverty for the rest of their lives.

There is a very real disconnection with respect to the number of hours carers are allowed to work or take up some form of training or a course, which does not make any sense as most part-time courses or jobs are at least 20 hours a week in any event during which time our children are cared for in school. Primary school children are in school more than 20 hours a week and secondary school children are in school more than 30 hours a week and they are cared for. The previous Minister, Senator Regina Doherty, increased the hours from 15 to 18.5 in 2020 but, unfortunately, this still prevents carers like myself from being able to work or do training of some kind. I applied for a vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, beauty therapy course through Fingal adult education, for which I had to go on a waiting list. I was called for an exam to see if I would be able to keep up with the work required academically, which I passed. I was then called for a formal interview, which I also passed, only to find out the only way I could complete the course was if I gave up my half-rate carer’s allowance as it was 20 hours a week, which would have left me and my family even more financially stuck. I was very disheartened after all the time and effort I put in and having to get childcare to even make the interviews and exam. If we can fill the gaps, it will build a firm solid bridge for lone parents and carers like myself to feel safe and supported enough to be able to upskill and work towards our passions and goals in life. It would help to empower us and to believe in ourselves, which, in turn, would also benefit, empower and support the lives of those around us.