Ms Karin Jonsson:

It is expensive to be poor. People cannot bulk buy or afford energy bulbs. People may not have transport and instead have to do their shopping in a corner shop or nearby convenience store because they cannot access larger supermarkets where prices might be cheaper. That is a hindrance.

There are lot of things many people could do, such as learning about budgeting, cooking and storing food, but as long as people do not have surety of food now, a home or the ability to pay an electricity bill, there is no way they can focus on those things. We need people to escape the immense stress and trauma of not having the very basics. When security is there and the stress is lifted, we can then start talking about the things that might make life even better, such as training, education, cooking, budgeting, giving up cigarettes or whatever else it might be. That is not something people can deal with when they do not know if they are going to have an enough food tomorrow or be able to heat their houses.

This is a long-term process. Policy changes and changes in society will help, as will the work local organisations can do to support people. It is not going to happen overnight, even when we work with families. They need to build trust with us and befriend us, which takes time. When we give that time and put in that effort, things can change fundamentally for a family and the next generation.

The girl to which a Senator referred reminded me of one thing we have noticed, namely, period property. We have linked in with an organisation addressing period poverty Dublin a couple of times, which is great. When we have funds, it is something we can spend some money on because we notice how very popular and important those items are. They may not seem very expensive, but in many families women and girls are not getting enough period products.

I thank everyone for their invitation and being able to share some of our information and stories. I look forward to whatever good happens in the future.