At the start of this year, five people agreed to keep a record of their lives in 2010. Some had already been badly hit by the economic downturn, but hoped things wouldn't get worse. So how has reality matched up to their expectations? Chief Reporter CARL O'BRIENreports
MAURA O’KEEFFE (65)
Widow
I’ve been sick and confined to the house for a lot of this year. I had an infection which stopped me going out. It was difficult, but it saved me money. I’m not spending as much on petrol or going out shopping.
The weather has been tough. I’m afraid of my ESB bill. I used over a tank of oil during the winter, which cost €600. I also have a solid fuel heater in the kitchen, which uses turf. That’s probably another €400. And then there’s the electric fan heater, which is going all the time. This is an old house, built in 1938, so I try to live in the one room during the day and heat that.
I’m close to pension age now, so at least the payment will go up, from around €201.50 to €230. I’m looking forward to that bit extra. There’s the free TV licence and the discount on electricity, all those little perks. I also got my free travel pass in the post this week.
I think older people aren’t doing too bad. That might be a controversial thing to say. Compared to years ago anyway. It’s still difficult if you don’t live in town. I live in Ballymagillan, on the Kildare/Meath border. You need a car. And trying to pay that on the pension can be awful. But if you have access to public transports, you’re not doing too bad.
I’m still very economical. I’m careful about what I buy, and I put a lot of things in the freezer. There’s no waste.
I’m looking forward to our holidays in April. The senior citizens’ group here are organising a trip to Wexford, so I’m putting away a few bob each week. When I feel better, I’ll be back dancing with the Third Age Foundation. It’s an active retirement association in Summerhill. It does a lot of good for an awful lot of people. I also volunteer with lots of things, including their senior helpline.
ANN ELIZABETH GUAN (52)
Care assistant
I’ve been living and working here for the past seven years. But I feel uncertain. My work permit is up soon and I don’t have a permanent job.
Things are looking up, I think. There is a family and their mother needs full-time care. They have asked me to care for her, so maybe they can get an extension for me.
I work to help my family. I have four children at home in the Philippines, and I support them. My mother also lives with them. She’s in her 80s. I’m the only breadwinner for them (I’m separated from my husband for the past 15 years). Most of what I send home goes on paying the mortgage for the house they are in and putting my children through college. They are aged between 19 and 29. I haven’t had a full-time job since last November. That means I’ve only been able to send home half of what I normally do. That’s difficult for them – they need the money for tuition fees, transport, that kind of thing.
But now all my savings are gone – I have zero balance. I earn some money through cleaning houses now. I iron clothes and clean homes three days a week. It’s tiring, especially ironing. This new job will be great, but it will pay only half of what my old job paid me. The woman who I hope to care for lives in Skerries, so I will move there. I’ll be living with her.
I like having time to myself. In the evenings, I like listening to CDs. My favourite at the moment is a an album of love songs. I like the track, All My Life. I play it whenever I feel bored. Overall, I like caring. I do my best to look after the elderly, especially ladies. They remind me of my own mother. When I care for a lady, it feels as if I’m looking after my own mother.
NIALL McALLISTER (43)
Former managing director
I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my life. That’s the God’s honest truth. It’s been so hard.
From a mental and physical point of view, unemployment damages you. I haven’t gone mad, or anything, but your self-esteem is in the bucket. This is a man who managed a recruitment business. I employed 20 people. I was advising people on what to do when they were down on their luck. And look at me now.
The irony is that if you saw me, you’d think I’m a millionaire. I have my shirts, ties and a few nice coats I picked up over the years. I polish my shoes. If you saw me walking down Grafton Street, you’d probably say, ‘hail fellow, well met’. But I have nothing.
All I want to do is work. I’ve sent out a gazillion CVs. I’ve met lots of people about potential jobs. There’s been lots of promises, but nothing ever materialises. It costs a lot to go to Dublin for an interview – it’s €16.50 by bus, one way. When you’re on €196 a week, that goes very quickly. One person never turned up for the interview. Another offered me a job, but told me there’d be no pay. How was I supposed to survive?
Most days I get up around 7am. I try to keep in my work routine. I go for a walk to clear my head. At the internet cafe, I search for job opportunities.
As for eating, I buy corned beef and packet soups, mostly. It’s all I can afford. You know what I’d love? A 15oz T-bone steak with a pile of chips, onions and mushrooms! I’d be smiling my head off – and it’d be gone in five minutes.
I read something the other day about suicides as a result of business failures. Twenty-nine people have died. Someone said to me: ‘A person mightn’t be able to take what you’ve been through.’ But I try to be hopeful, even in hard times. At the end of the day, I’m an asset. I think I can bring a lot to any organisation. That’s what I want to do. That’s my goal: get back to the way I should be, contributing properly to society. It’s important to keep positive.
SEÁN BRENNAN (46)
Hardware shop owner
The fear – it’s driving people under. Even those who have a job aren’t spending anything. It’s horrific.
Take today. I did €70 for the day at the shop. It was mostly people coming in and buying the one item. I sold a tin of paint for €11.95. Another customer bought 10 screws. Not a box, just 10 individual screws. People are so cautious and so nervous. They wouldn’t have minded what they spent a year ago.
The Village Hardware shop in Clondalkin is a family business. We all dig in. I’ve five boys and a girl, ranging in age from 14 to 24. We’re still not making a wage; we’re just paying off suppliers.
Holidays are out of the question. We’ve cut back on a lot. We eat a lot more stews. I buy the vegetables at the greengrocer, not the supermarket. You can save a lot that way. The days when we’d get takeaways or pizzas regularly are long gone.
It’s funny how things have changed. You find contractors who would have been run off their feet and couldn’t talk to you a year or two ago. Now, they stop in to have a chat. You can’t get rid of them!
Support from suppliers isn’t great. One or two have been very good. The rest are hounding you. I heard a guy from Ibec on the radio saying the recession was over the other day. Over? It hasn’t even started, as far as I see it. We all need more support. That initiative with Dundrum Credit Union, lending money to start up businesses, we need more of that.
People say to me, ‘why do you bother staying open?’. My attitude is if you get knocked down, you’ve to get back up again. If I make €20 or €500, and I have the support of the landlord and the customer, I’ll stay open.
ASHLING O’REGAN (22)
Social care worker
I got a permanent job last in January. It was great. And it was a big deal for everyone at home. People were so happy for me. I’m very fortunate to be working in a job I’m qualified for.
So many people in my class weren’t so lucky. We had our graduation recently – only a handful of them are working in the social care area. A few are on the dole and others have moved abroad. The education system doesn’t really prepare you for the world of work.
I’m working in a residential centre for young people. You see another side of the world, young people from difficult backgrounds who are incredibly resilient. You’d be in awe of how they persevere and come out on top.
It’s the same with friends looking for work. At times like this, I see friends who are drawing on their inner strength to keep positive and motivated. It’s all about focus and keeping going.
Most socialising these days is in people’s homes. They don’t have the money. I’m not a huge fan of going into town, so I don’t mind at all. I love hanging out with friends and catching up.
With my job, I’m able to plan a bit more and save money. I’m hoping to do a Masters in the near future and maybe get enough for a deposit for a house. I’d love to go on holiday this year, maybe with a group, if we can get enough people together, or with my boyfriend. I don’t mind where, just anywhere sunny!
