Submission 304

May 08

Green Paper Submission

I am a woman of 43 years of age. I came to Ireland in 1994 as an asylum seeker. This is my story.

In 1994 I arrived in Ireland. I was 29 years old. When I was nineteen (in my home country) I started working in Construction & Architectural Enterprise. I worked there for 10 years from 1984 to 1994 as a quantity surveyors technician.

After three years in Ireland with non-status and unable to work or study I got refugee status which led to me receiving Irish Citizenship by naturalisation. I married an Irish man in 1996 and I now have three children of nine, seven and five years old. I am still learning English, learning about Irish society and culture. I think it is very important to integrate into Irish society. While my children are attending school, I have returned to education and training in order to find fulfilling work and secure a pension for my later years. As the children are growing, I feel it is important to be there for them too, they are part of the future of Irish society.

Part-time, flexible work is what I need while ther are young. The work of caring and homemaker must be recognised as a direct contribution to the economy and workers in this sector should be properly rewarded. Women should have choice about the tpe of work they decide to take.

In order to qualify for a contributory pension at sixty six I will need credits of 520 in 10 years working full time, it sounds impossible for anyone who has been out of paid employment.

I am a person in my own right and I would like to be as independent as possible.