Ms Gayle Smith:

I thank the committee for letting us speak today. Obviously, unlike the other speakers, I am not a professional. What I do bring is my lived experience as a lone parent, as well as that of having gone through returning to education as a mature student.

From the time I decided to return to education, I found that there were many barriers. The first was, as Senator Ruane has said already, that I was not given a choice to go part time. I had to go full time, because you do not get a SUSI grant if you go part time. While this can be this can be fine for many parents, for others it is not an option. If they have a couple of kids who they need to look after, or if their kids are really young, it is not an option for them to go full time. If you do go full time, you will incur extra childcare costs. When education is spread over two years, you have take that into account and ask yourself how long you will be in education. That is the way I had to look at it. When I returned to education, I was on rent supplement. You cannot be in full-time education and receive rent supplements. I had to move from rent supplements to the housing assistance payment, HAP, which meant I was financially worse off as a result. I felt that when I went back to education there was barrier upon barrier in front of me. It is only because I was so stubborn and dogmatic about it that I got through. Many women, because of their circumstances, are so worn down that they do not have the capacity,or the fight left in them to get through this. That needs to be understood.

Nobody wants to live in poverty, and nobody wants their children to live in poverty. If women are given supports to return to education and to return to work, this will bring long term benefits that can break this intergenerational cycle of child poverty. The Government should look at short-term supports for women that will help them in the long term. I am doing my masters degree. Let me put this in perspective. I did not pass my leaving certificate. I did an undergraduate degree and now I am doing my masters. I am going to finish with first-class honours. Next year, I will be free from social welfare dependency. That is the aim. The Government should look at short term fixes like this. If someone wants to return to education, the Government should say “Okay, great, how we help you? How can we support you? How can we make this happen?” It should not be a constant fight for people who are already struggling. When children see their parents going to education and getting a good job, that is inspiring for them. We really need to consider that as well.