Ms Gillian O'Connor:

Children in our community-based services have spoken to us about feeling powerless, isolated and marginalised from a very young age. The shame that these children and their families experience does not belong to them. We know that children living in poverty experience multiple and cumulative inequalities linked to their health, housing, education and well-being and that this follows them throughout their lives. Parents with more resources are able to give their children a better preparation for life. We know that class-based inequalities, whether urban or rural, exist. Is the State ready to respond to the structural inequalities that are perpetuated through generations?

I will finish on the bubble we spoke about from the arts and theatre piece we did:

They make decisions about you. They tell you, you can’t. They tell you, you won’t. They tell you, you’ll never. They measure you with invisible rulers. ... My bubble feels like a shell on my back. It’s heavy. I hope yours is light and floaty and beautiful. And I hope it’s easy to get out of.