Alison Comyn
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I know we are on the cusp of the summer recess but I want to talk about school for a moment. I raise a matter for a future debate or possible Commencement matter with the Minister for education about the inclusion of philosophy as a leaving certificate subject.”
“I believe this proposal sits naturally within the broader reform of the leaving certificate currently being championed by my colleague Senator Shane Curley. As we reimagine and modernise senior cycle education, we should not only be asking what students need to know, but how they should learn to think for themselves.”
“I especially compliment the staff who work in the background for me, including my assistant, Anna Brennan, who I have many times introduced as my right-hand woman. I would not be able to manage without her. I hope she has a very restful week. The work will go on here.”
“Despite all the technological change, people still value the reassurance, convenience and trust that comes with the local post office. That is why this investment is so important.”
“For those people, the post office is not just a convenience; it is an essential service. As a spokesperson for communications, I believe this debate should be about the future, rather than simply preserving the past or what we have at the moment.”
“Croke Park was a sea of red on the day. Many of us wanted to take public transport and it was under immense pressure. However, that was not just because of the semi-final. Dundalk and Drogheda railway stations are under serious pressure every day. One of the main reasons is the lack of parking.”
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“We do not know how long it is going to last but today has been designated Amber Thursday. This is a local authority awareness campaign across the country to raise awareness of three particular areas of safety, namely, fire safety, road safety and water safety. When we think of people having barbecues on beaches, the last thing we want is forest fires. When disposing of cigarette butts and throwing them out the window, people could create serious hazards. On the roads on bank holiday weekends we know the dreadful tragedies that can happen. Like all the local authorities, I urge people to slow down and take care this weekend. Water safety is also important. The last thing we want is any more horrific tragedies in our lakes, rivers or on our beaches. This particularly applies to young people.”
“This is a special day for the Disability Federation of Ireland to get all of us, including businesses, to see the world from the point of view of somebody with a disability, be that someone in a wheelchair or with other mobility issues. It is intended to raise awareness of issues such as people parking on footpaths, putting bins out in the middle of the footpath in front of a house or chaining bikes in odd or unusual places. Café sandwich boards out in the centre of footpaths or low-hanging trees can create serious problems for anybody with a disability. It might not be something we necessarily think about and it is not perhaps what businesses are thinking about. We need to have a discussion about looking after the public realm and taking into account the needs of people with serious disabilities. The sun is shining today.”
“I also extend my warm welcome to the Swedish ambassador. Having just purchased my first Volvo electric vehicle, EV, I feel an extra special connection. I wish the ambassador a happy national day. I also extend my congratulations and best of luck to Drogheda businessman, Edward McCloskey, who founded WaterWipes in 2009. His excellent product is stocked in over 50 countries. Last year he won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. Today he is representing Ireland in the final of the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year in sunny Monaco. We have our own sunshine here but we will find out the results tomorrow. I wish Edward and all his staff the very best of luck. Tomorrow is also a very special day called Make Way Day.”
“It is very relevant to what we have been debating over the past few weeks. Will he disclose the exact value of the redundancy package he received? We understand it was an RTÉ decision, but it had a huge bearing on the fact that position was filled. It was not done away with and only 13 months later it was filled. I would be grateful for his comments on that.”
“I thank the MEPs for attending. They do tremendous work in Europe on behalf of all their communities in the Midlands-North-West constituency. I love the diversity, that we all came from different backgrounds. Mr. Mullooly and I left the fourth estate and moved to the first estate, as it is called. Some would say we leapt from the frying pan into the fire. I hope he is enjoying his role as much as I am. Mr. Mullooly left in 2021. I have been working all week to make sure RTÉ is providing value for money to its viewers. It is State-funded. Did he understand, when he accepted his voluntary redundancy from RTÉ back in June 2021, that his midlands correspondent role would likely only be vacant for 13 months? Did he believe RTÉ was permanently abolishing-----”
“Before I call the next speaker I welcome a large group to our Visitors Gallery today - the Belturbet Men's Shed and the Douglas Men's Shed, guests of the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin. They are very welcome here today. It is lovely to see them all. They have taken a day off from their whittling, woodwork, etc. I know the Drogheda Men's Shed do a fantastic scone. I am not sure if those present do that as well. I hope Michael O'Gorman of the Belturbet Men's Shed and the Douglas Men's Shed enjoy their day here.”
“It is happening in every county, town and community and is too often hidden by shame and fear. I am especially concerned by the rise in cyber abuse and image-based sexual abuse. The report refers to 119 callers affected by this, up 73 from the previous year, with young adults and adolescents heavily represented. This needs to stop us in our tracks, because these are crimes. Sexual violence is a crime. Image-based sexual abuse is a crime. We are sending a clear message to everybody that this is not acceptable. I will post a link to the full report on my social media. I urge people to read it, but I would just like to give the hotline number for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. For anyone experiencing any kind of sexual violence, recent or historic, please know that support is available.”
“Almost 24,000 contacts were made to its services last year. That figure is up on 2024's and almost a third higher than it was just three years ago. What is going on with our men and women? How did we get here in 2026? These are not just statistics in a report, but people, many of them women. However, we also heard this morning of the incredible stories of two brave male survivors of rape, Tom Ryan and Jordan Gregory. All who call this line are reaching out because something traumatic has happened to them or because something that happened years ago is now hitting home with them. As chair of the Oireachtas women's caucus and as someone working closely day by day on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, I find these figures heartbreaking, frightening and totally unacceptable. This is not a marginal issue.”
“I want to speak about the really stark report from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre that was launched this morning, but before I do, I have to refute the opinion of Senator Keogan about Fianna Fáil, an incredible party that I am proud to be a member of. We are the longest-serving party in Europe. We were responsible for Ireland joining the EU. Seán Lemass and Countess Markievicz brought in some incredible programmes. Fianna Fáil introduced free education, free travel, Aer Lingus and, even to this day, the smoking ban. Ireland has the best education in Europe and a fantastic programme of supporting business. I am sure many of my party colleagues will speak of the same. It does not look like the same party that I heard of from Senator Keogan. I was at the launch of the annual report of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The figures are very stark.”
“We need to be able to legislate for what our children are seeing online. This motion is wide-ranging because the problem is wide-ranging. Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence does not fit neatly within the remit of one Department. It touches on justice, housing, health, education, children, local government and online safety. We must all work together to address it. I welcome the motion and I support the swift passage of the legislation it references. I urge everyone to place the provision of move-on accommodation at the top of our agenda.”
“That could be an extra expense that is taken away. I must mention online pornography and the impact it is having on boys and young men. We cannot ignore that violent pornography is now easily accessible to children. In handing them phones for their first Holy Communion and their Confirmation, we are, unfortunately, handing them the keys to accessing horrendous online abuse. We cannot ignore the normalisation of strangulation, degradation and violence in what many young people are seeing online. Non-fatal strangulation is a major red flag for abusive relationships. We had a presentation in Leinster House not so long ago during which I was shocked to hear that for some girls as young as 12, 13 and 14, their first ever engagement with a boy their own age may include an experience of strangulation. That is not acceptable.”
“Anyone who seeks to exploit a person's housing vulnerability in exchange for sex is engaging in predatory behaviour. It is coercive, it is abusive and it is simply not acceptable. It must be criminalised. The motion's support for the reform of how counselling notes are handled in sexual assault trials is also essential. Victims should not be retraumatised by the fear that deeply private therapeutic notes will be routinely disclosed in court. There is so much to welcome in the motion, including the focus on Valerie's law and the proposal to remove guardianship rights from those convicted of killing a partner or the fellow parent of their children. The welfare and safety of the child must be paramount. I also welcome Senator Rabbitte's comments regarding the availability of transportation during the vital period when women need to escape.”
“There must be a clear pathway for property owners with a vacant or underused building that could be brought back into use to work with their local authority to provide safe supported accommodation for some of the most vulnerable women and children in our society. For those property owners, such arrangements could offer secure long-term rental income and a way to bring vacant buildings back into productive use. We know how important that is for our town centres, in attracting commercial entities and in making the streets safer for everybody. For women and children leaving refuge, it can mean something far more important. It can mean safety, stability and, instead of having to go back, being able to keep moving forward. The motion also proposes the criminalisation of sex-for-rent practices, which is extremely important.”
“It is why local authorities must be at the heart of that response. They know their towns and its vacant buildings. They know people in the community, where the services are and what buildings could be brought back into use really quickly. However, they cannot be expected to do that alone. As my colleague said, this requires a clear national policy framework. There must be funding, there must be cross-party and cross-department collaboration, including between the Departments of housing and justice, and collaboration with Cuan, Tusla, the HSE, local authorities and, of course, the front-line domestic services that see these issues every day of the week.”
“If they need to move to a local authority in another jurisdiction, they may have to start from scratch. We must ensure these women are not returning to a family home in which, sadly, a perpetrator remains. They could have children in school, medical supports in place and family supports nearby, but they may be forced to move away from all that because there is no safe accommodation locally. That is not right. Women who have done everything they should do and have been brave enough to leave their situation should not be told they are now on their own. Children who have escaped violence and whom we say we want to help rehabilitate must not find themselves taken away from their school, their friends, their community and their stability. This is why move-on accommodation must become a central part of our overall response.”
“These are women who are once again becoming fully fledged members of their community. There is no need for high security. This would not be a refuge situation; it is a move-on proposal. The accommodation could be allocated through domestic violence and housing support services to women and children who are ready to move on from refuge but who still need stability and support. It is not intended to replace permanent housing or refuges. Rather, it would fill the gap between the two, which is so evident at the moment, whereby women are falling between two or three stools. One of the points that struck me most forcefully at the presentation is that women leaving refuge may not always appear in the homelessness figures in the way we might expect. They do not necessarily have priority on housing lists.”
“Local authorities should be supported to work with property owners to identify vacant, derelict or underused buildings, particularly in town centres, and bring them back into use as supported move-on accommodation for women and children leaving refuge services. They could include former retail businesses, preferably with over-the-shop accommodation, suitable publicly owned properties, including State and HSE buildings, and properties whose owners are willing to work with the State and local authorities to deliver something of real social and community value. The model is not complicated. A local authority could enter into a long-term lease with a property owner and the building could be refurbished to meet housing, fire safety, child safety and security standards.”
“As my colleague mentioned, in Leinster House last Wednesday, I hosted a presentation on proposals for move-on accommodation for women and children leaving domestic support. The proposals were brought forward by Ms Sarah Slazenger, who is managing director of Powerscourt Estate. In attendance were vital stakeholders, including representatives of women's refuges in Bray, Drogheda and Dundalk, Soroptimists Ireland groups, women's sheds, the Irish Countrywomen's Association and a delegation of female ambassadors from right across Europe and the globe. The might of their support is incredible. It was a powerful gathering but, more importantly, we heard about some very practical solutions. The proposal is really simple.”
“We know refuges are under huge pressure, women are still being turned away with their children and children are spending too long in emergency accommodation because there is nowhere else for their mothers to go. We know the moment of leaving can be one of the most dangerous times for a woman experiencing abuse. Refuge spaces are absolutely vital but refuge is not the end of the story. Refuge is a place of emergency safety. It is not intended to be a long-term home. It is not the place for woman and their children to stay and seek to rebuild their lives. The question we must ask is really simple: what happens next and where do these women go after they have had the support of refuge? That is the gap I am hoping we can address through this motion and other measures.”
“Domestic abuse should not be seen as something that happens behind closed doors and as lesser than any other kind of assault. The language around it has changed over the years, about which I am glad. The support received from An Garda Síochána, sexual abuse units and Cuan is incredible. We know better now and we must be able to tackle this type of violence at source. That is why I welcome the zero-tolerance strategy and the progress that has been made under it. We should acknowledge that process. As my colleague Senator Rabbitte mentioned, there has been increased funding, legislative reform and a stronger focus on prevention, victim support and safe accommodation. The funding of almost €80 million under budget 2026 is hugely significant. However, every one of us in this House knows the need is still greater than the provision.”
“I second the motion. I thank the Minister for coming to the House. The conversation we are having is incredibly vital. I welcome the motion and commend Senators O'Loughlin, Rabbitte, and other colleagues on bringing it forward. It is to our shame that we are still talking about this in 2026 and that we still have to legislate, strategise and campaign to protect women and children from this violence, coercion, exploitation and abuse in their own homes, relationships, online and right across society in general. Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is not just a private or family matter. I spent years as a journalist and there were times when I went to a Garda station only to be told I would not be interested in a particular incident because it was just a domestic dispute.”
“It will take the Departments of housing and justice, and possibly other Departments, to come together and start planning for this eventuality because while we are building social housing as fast as we can, it is not fast enough for some of these women who need to move on and rebuild their lives, and then other women can move into the refuges. I appreciate the Minister of State's comments on that, but we need to focus more right across the Departments on how we can support these women. I would like to see more focus from the Departments of justice and housing on the third phase of the rehabilitation for these women and children.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I thank him for his comprehensive response and his own personal comments. I note that the mechanism is not currently under consideration from a policy perspective but let us begin the conversation to make that a possibility. I would also argue that these houses would possibly be more than ample in terms of security for these women and children. We are doing really well providing refuges; it is not the refuges, it is the post-refuge care that we need. We need a multi-pronged approach.”
“I am also working with the Departments of housing and health on how vacant or derelict buildings, particularly over-the-shop premises in our towns and villages, could potentially be used for this accommodation. Even unused HSE buildings could be used. Making crime pay should mean taking assets from the criminals and restoring dignity, safety and opportunity to those victims and survivors of domestic abuse along with the victims of more and more human trafficking. I am asking the Minister to examine this proposal and consider how the proceeds of crime can be used in a more directed, targeted and impactful way to help these women and children in crisis and to rebuild their lives”
“On a recent visit to Lusaka in Zambia, I learned that with the assistance of our own embassy there, accommodation for vulnerable women has been supported through properties confiscated from organised crime gangs. That is where I got the idea for this. We do not need to replicate those models but we can certainly take inspiration from them because here in Ireland we already have structures in place but what is needed now is a policy decision and that collaboration through the Departments of housing, justice and possibly health. I welcomed the continued investment in refuges around the country, including the confirmation yesterday of a refuge for Cavan and Monaghan, but we must also complete the next step of that journey.”
“Money generated through exploitation and harm should be used to provide safety stability and a fresh start for those who have experienced that harm. We already have a system that removes wealth from criminal hands. The question now is whether some of that wealth can be redirected in a way that delivers a clear and visible social benefit. Even if it is not the actual house itself, a modest allocation from the proceeds could help local authorities and approved housing bodies deliver move-on accommodation. It would ease pressure on the refuges, free up emergency spaces and, most importantly, give women and children the stability they need to rebuild their lives. There are international examples of this approach. In Italy, assets seized from organised crime have been repurposed for community use.”
“Why are we not using some of those proceeds more directly to support the very people whose lives have been damaged by violence, intimidation and abuse? Refuges do extraordinary work - they save lives - but they are not designed for long-term living. Across the country, women and children are ready to move on and rebuild their lives but cannot do so because suitable accommodation simply is not available. This gap is not just a housing issue; it is a justice issue as well. What I am proposing is practical and achievable. We should examine how assets seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau could help fund move-on accommodation for women and children leaving these domestic abuse refuges. This is about making crime pay back.”
“I thank the Minister of State for addressing this really serious issue. It is actually a follow-on from a call I made yesterday to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to assist in move-on accommodation for survivors of domestic violence. This urgent issue needs multi-departmental collaboration. To our shame, hundreds of women and children all over the country are leaving abusive homes or situations, seeking safety in refuges and trying to rebuild their lives but they are facing a really uncertain future because there is simply nowhere for them to go after they leave the refuge. At the same time, the State through the Criminal Assets Bureau is seizing millions of euro worth of assets from criminal activity every year. That raises a very simple question.”
“At the same time, however, nothing is being said to the effect that they must be used to help survivors of domestic violence. That is what we really need to do. We need to start the conversation in that regard and get the ball rolling in the context of making sure that a certain number of these properties, be they over-the-shop units, vacant HSE properties or, perhaps, designated social housing units, be ring-fenced for the use of domestic violence survivors.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his very detailed response. I do welcome all the work that is being done by the Government parties on dealing with women and children, particularly those who are homeless. However, I reiterate that many of these survivors are not listed as homeless. As a result, they are not being assisted by homelessness projects. Also, they are not necessarily entering homeless accommodation because they are not designated as being homeless, so they are falling between a couple of stools. It is in that context that we need to ring-fence, for want of a better word, what is required. There are great measures to look after women and children. There are also great measures to help deal with vacancy and dereliction and encourage people to take up the grants and use the town centre projects.”
“What is needed now is co-ordination and collaboration between the local authorities, the Departments of housing, justice and health and agencies such as the HSE. Where buildings are sitting idle, we have a responsibility to ensure they are used to serve the greater good. I ask that this model be actively examined and progressed, with pilot projects identified and delivered because we cannot continue to accept a situation where women and children leave safety only to face further uncertainty. We have the buildings and we have the need. What we need to do now is bring all of the elements together and make sure that we are providing after care and accommodation for those in dire need.”
“We are hearing that thousands of women do not have supported after-refuge care. They do not have accommodation, which means that other women and victims of domestic abuse are unable to enter those refuges. It is creating a logjam. We heard directly this morning from those working on the ground or at the coal face, in the refuges. We heard from Soroptomists and Women's Sheds, as I mentioned, who are working with these women, as well as from international representatives. They told us that this gap is one of the most urgent issues that everyone is facing at the moment. After the refuges the women are ready to move on but there is nowhere for them to go. This proposal is not abstract. It is practical, scalable and rooted in what is already available.”
“We need to get the ball rolling on whether this is possible because the model itself is really straightforward. Local authorities would work with property owners to secure long-term leases. Buildings would be refurbished to meet appropriate housing and safety standards and, crucially, accommodation would be linked with support services to ensure that women and children are supported as they rebuild their lives and become a valuable part of the community, taking a huge burden off the State. This approach has clear advantages. It is faster than new-builds, it is cost-effective and it supports town centre regeneration, which everybody is calling for at the moment. It also provides accommodation in locations where essential services are already in place. Most importantly, it addresses the gap that exists after refuge care.”
“They offered a practical way to bring these two realities together. Their proposal calls on local authorities to take a proactive role in identifying suitable vacant and underutilised buildings, particularly in town centres, and bringing them back into use as supported, move-on, post-refuge accommodation. It is a creative use of the vacant and derelict funding and grants that are already there, just not for commercial use. This includes not just private properties but also publicly owned buildings, including those under the remit of the HSE. Collaboration is needed between the Departments of housing, justice and possibly health as well. We know there are opportunities out there. We heard this morning of a HSE property in Enniskerry which could be considered as part of a pilot scheme. That is what we need to see.”
“They may not be formally classified as homeless. They may not have priority on housing lists. In some cases, if they move to another jurisdiction to seek safety, they risk losing their place on those lists altogether, so they leave a place of safety and step into uncertainty. At the same time across towns and villages in every county, we have buildings lying vacant, upper floors unused, properties sitting idle and public buildings not reaching their full potential. A proposal today was made in Leinster House, led by Sarah Slazenger of Powerscourt Estate and supported by stakeholders from refuges in Bray, Drogheda and Dundalk as well as grassroots organisations such as the Soroptimists, the Women's Sheds and the Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, and 14 European and global ambassadors.”
“I thank the Aire Stáit for coming to the House today. This is a very important issue. It is not a new issue. Unfortunately, it is long-standing. It is a new proposed solution to this problem because what we are doing now clearly is not working. There are still thousands of survivors leaving women's refuges with their children and they have nowhere to go. There are women and children throughout the country today who have done exactly what they are supposed to do. They have left abusive homes, sought safety in refuges and are trying to rebuild their lives. However, they are now facing a really uncertain future because there is simply nowhere for them to go. Quite often, the perpetrator is in the family home. That is the last place we want them to return to. They are falling between several stools.”
“I will turn to our Distinguished Visitors Gallery once more now that I have the names of our visitors, who are the family of a very key member of our staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas, one of our ushers, Darren. I welcome his wife, Tina, and their nine-year-old daughter, Caoimhe. I understand poor six-year-old daughter Oonagh drew the short straw and she is in school today. I have no doubt we will welcome her again one day. All of us are so grateful for the wonderful work Darren and all the other ushers do in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Welcome and enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Before we move to our final Commencement, we have a busy day in our Visitors' Galleries today. I welcome our distinguished guests to our Distinguished Visitors Gallery, and those in our Public Gallery as well. I see we are packed out with the St. Laurence's Boys' National School, Stillorgan. They are all very welcome guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond. Our Cathaoirleach always says that when you visit the Seanad, you have no homework for the rest of the day but I am mischievious as Acting Chair and I like to say no homework for the rest of the week. I hope that has not caused too much bother. I am getting a thumbs up from the teacher. Go raibh maith agaibh. Tá fáilte romhaibh go léir. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay. We will move to our final Commencement and An Seanadóir Chris Andrews.”
“Before we move to our next Commencement matter, we have a packed Public Gallery and I wish to welcome some of our guests. Students from Marino Institute of Education are most welcome to the Seanad. We also have visitors from Cairdeas Clubhouse, guests of Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí. They are welcome here today. They picked a beautiful day to come. Hopefully, they will enjoy the rest of their tour and visit. We also have Mr. P.J. Bohan and Mr. Des Dalton in the Public Gallery, guests of Senator Garret Kelleher. I hope they manage to catch him in action.”
“For families in places like Togher and countless other rural and urban areas across Ireland, high-speed broadband is no longer some distant promise; it is actually becoming a reality and one I am really looking forward to seeing to its entirety. I thank the Minister of State for coming to this very important debate today.”
“I also welcome the wider digital connectivity strategy, which aims to ensure all Irish homes and businesses are covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028. That ambition is an absolute necessity. Digital connectivity is not a luxury; it is vital. If we are serious about balanced regional development, climate goals, reducing commuting pressures and sustaining rural communities, connectivity has to remain central to Government policy. As spokesperson, I welcome the continued progress of the national broadband plan. It is transforming rural Ireland and the entire country in a practical, measurable and lasting way. There is still work ahead but communities are now seeing tangible progress.”
“All 672 primary schools within the intervention area received technical connectivity ahead of the fibre roll-out to ensure children in rural Ireland and all across the country were not left waiting for digital access. Around three quarters of these schools have transitioned from wireless solutions to permanent fibre connections. This is hugely important because digital inequality in education quickly becomes educational inequality. While we acknowledge the progress, we also know there is a little bit more work to do. Broadband black spots remain around the current intervention area and I welcome the programme for Government commitment to tackle those areas that may not otherwise be served commercially. No community should be left without broadband because it falls outside a particular map line.”
“This sends a really clear message that no community, no matter how remote, should be left behind in modern infrastructure. It is also important to recognise the role of the broadband connection hubs and points. These public facilities, whether community centres, libraries, sport centres or enterprise hubs, become a real lifeline in many rural areas before the fibre roll-out is available and has arrived. Over 283 public sites are now connected and offer free public access. For some communities, these hubs meant people could work remotely, students could complete schoolwork and families could stay connected during extremely challenging periods and schools, as has been mentioned, have benefited significantly.”
“For many people in rural parts of Louth and around the country, reliable broadband has been an ongoing frustration for decades. Families, remote workers and local businesses have often felt left behind despite being only a short distance from major urban centres and the two largest towns in Ireland. Seeing real progress happening now on the ground in places like Togher is genuinely welcome and shows that the plan is reaching communities that need it the most. The ambition of this plan is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that even some of our offshore islands are now being connected. Inishbofin, Inisheer and Inishmaan are due to be connected late this year, while many other island communities are already at the broadband available to order or pre-order stage.”
“If I may, I might reiterate some of those numbers that have been mentioned by my colleagues here. As of 17 April, more than 465,000 premises had been passed, with over 170,000 already connected to the network. That is almost 500,000 premises that can now order or pre-order broadband. Importantly, the project is expected to be completed on time and under budget, with the main infrastructure build due to be concluded by the end of this year. This is huge progress by any measure. While national figures are important, local communities want to know one thing: when it will reach them. I was very pleased to see Togher in County Louth, only down the road from me, included among the 27 areas around the country now at the network build in progress stage.”
“As the Minister mentioned, it is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever undertaken by the State. Sometimes we lose sight of the sheer scale of what is being delivered. As he mentioned, the plan aims for 100% coverage in the intervention area, meaning that by the end of this year over 500,000 premises, including around 65,000 farms, 26,000 businesses and 672 schools will have access to high-speed broadband infrastructure. That means well over 500,000 people will have access to fibre broadband if they choose to connect. What is really important about this project is that it was deliberately designed so that the entire country would progress at the same time, rather than moving county by county or region by region. This matters because rural Ireland has waited long enough for equal access.”
“While some communities are still waiting, thankfully many are now finally beginning to see real movement and real hope that they too will soon have the reliable service most of us now depend on every single day. There are more people living and working in rural Ireland than at any point in the history of the State. That is a remarkable transformation. The increase in remote and hybrid working following the pandemic has been hugely positive and transformational for rural Ireland. It has allowed people to return home, remain local, raise families in their own communities and contribute to rural economies in a way that simply was not possible a decade ago. However, none of that works without connectivity and that is why the national broadband plan is so important.”
“We are talking about older people being able to access telehealth services, families being able to stay connected and small businesses finally having the digital infrastructure to compete on a level playing field. Perhaps most importantly, we are talking about people having the choice to live and work in their own communities. Most of us in the Chamber know what happens when the broadband drops at home for even ten minutes. There is panic and pandemonium. The children are shouting that there is no Wi-Fi, half the house grounds to a halt and suddenly we seem unable to function. As nice as that sounds for a small time, we can only imagine the absolute frustration of families and businesses that have lived for years with poor or unavailable connectivity. Nobody is taking that progress for granted.”
“Tá fáilte roimh an Aire um tráthnóna. As Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on media and communications, I welcome the opportunity to speak on the delivery of this vital national broadband plan, and more importantly, what it is already beginning to mean for communities right across Ireland. When we talk about broadband, we are talking not just about cables under the ground or fibre up the poles but about a student in rural Louth, Donegal or Kerry being able to attend an online lecture without the screen freezing every few minutes or about a farmer submitting forms online in minutes, rather than having to drives miles to find a reliable connection.”
“Turning on that radio station on a Sunday morning was a simple, familiar and accessible way for people to stay connected. As somebody who started their broadcasting career - dare I say it - almost 40 years ago in what was called Boyneside Radio at the time, it provides an amazing service with incredible current affairs, community services, etc. I would hate to see this one go by the wayside. I hope that some alternative arrangement could possibly be made, particularly for those people right across the north east because this service really was a lifeline.”