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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“One of the ways we tackled it was that we got an injection of gardaí, which was invaluable. Do not get me wrong; we could still do with more boots on the ground. However, it simply would not have been possible to get to where it is now without that injection. Another major part of it was community involvement. When we talk about community involvement, it is not only the likes of the community gardaí, which Senator Duffy mentioned and who do incredible work, and the Garda diversion programmes. It is also about the people who are in those communities where it is a small minority who usually take part in this crime. They know them, they know their families, and they know how to tackle the root cause.”
“I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and the Minister of State for coming here today and affording us a valuable opportunity to raise what is a very serious issue. There cannot be anybody here in this Chamber who is not appalled by the level of street crime and knife violence that has been happening right across the country. It is not just in our cities, but it is in our towns and in our villages. Only a couple of days ago there was another stabbing incident in Kerry. What we have to look at is the importance of community involvement in tackling this issue. I will talk about my home town of Drogheda. If we rewind to between 2017 and 2020, we were visited by horrendous crime. We were in the grips of a drugs feud. We saw violence on the streets like we never saw before.”
“I could envisage traffic coming from Slane, Castlebellingham, Dunleer and from all that part of the county to park and ride there and get the train across to the other side, making sure the commuters leaving Drogheda are there at the best possible time. We are told it is coming down the track - pardon the pun - that we will be in the fairer fares scheme. That has been long delayed. It is about time Drogheda was seen as a proper commuter hub for the north east.”
“I would like to see a new north-side railway station on the site of the third part of the northern access route, the port access northern cross route or, as it is more commonly known, the PANCR road. It would be ideally located there. The second phase is just beginning. It is almost shovel ready. The third stage would then be the ideal point to put in a tunnel to be able to access a train station. What is happening at the moment is that all the commuter traffic is going through the town and blocking the town, because there is a toll leading in and out of Drogheda and people are obviously using the town centre to avoid that toll. It makes absolute common sense to put a northern rail station there which could act as an entire transport hub for that part of the county.”
“I would like to request from the Leader a debate on, and an exploration from the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, of, a second railway station for Drogheda, County Louth. Drogheda is Ireland's largest town and is currently being serviced by one train station on the south side of the town which is under severe pressure as it stands. There is not enough parking to service the commuters. If you are not there by 6.45 a.m., there is not a hope of any parking. The idea of a north-side train station was in a local area plan originally and then was dropped from the local area plan. I would like to see it put back in and see the possibility. Almost 7,500 new houses are being built on the north side of the town.”
“They are the result of negotiations between the Government and pharmaceutical companies and, therefore, I request a debate with the Minister for Health on urgently addressing the supply issue so that the successful roll out of the HRT, as planned at the start of the year, can be carried out.”
“Facebook and WhatsApp groups are buzzing with the news that some chemists might have particular patches, which are like gold dust. Many people are resorting to travelling to countries such as Spain or Germany just to get these products. There seems to be a greater supply in other countries. This shortage of products is not new and was flagged several times as a matter of urgency. Women do not want to be plunged back into menopausal side effects. Speaking to GPs and pharmacists across the country, I have learned that these shortages are a very complex issue.”
“Not all women are suitable for HRT but I, and thousands of others who can use it, rejoiced last year when the then Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, introduced free HRT right across the board. It was another very welcome advancement for women's health in the country, along with the likes of free contraception. However, this has not gone exactly to plan. The ongoing shortages of the products, which have worsened over the past 12 months, are causing great impacts on women. I would like to debate this issue with our new Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I, and many other women who are struggling to find products, find ourselves meeting in car parks and kitchens, almost carrying out clandestine deals, snipping off parts of patches and sharing pumps of oestrogen gel.”
“I am aware I stand here today as a woman who can count many blessings. Not only at 55 years of age have I been able to embark on this great new chapter in my life, but as a menopausal woman, I can also avail of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT as it is more commonly known, which can greatly alleviate many symptoms of menopause. Now I look around here and these hallowed walls may have started to quake at the mere mention of menopause in years gone by, but I have mentioned it twice and they are still standing. It is good to see that we are making changes. For those less familiar, HRT is not a luxury but a necessity for many women who are prescribed it. It should not only be the preserve of those who can afford it. It can sometimes cost up to €80 per month.”
“One of the tenets of my general election campaign last year was to bring back the likes of local government and town councils. It is the path of making Drogheda a city again and I very much welcome that he mentioned some sort of task force to bring that into being. I look forward to seeing that and to being able to look into that as well. As many Senators have done, although some like me were doing it for the first time, walking through those doors into such an historic building, Leinster House, places the weight of history and responsibility on my shoulders. It is something that I will very much bear gladly and will never take for granted.”
“That did not quite happen but they have made me the first female Fianna Fáil Senator. I am very proud of that. When signing the register yesterday, I was delighted to see that a Senator Michael Comyn signed his name in 1928. I am not sure if we are directly related but I am certainly going to inherit that connection, whether it is true or not, because it is an unusual name and I would like to think I am following in his footsteps. A big thank you to the Clerk of the Seanad, Mr. Martin Groves, for finding that book and showing it to me. It was a very special moment. I would like to echo the Cathaoirleach's words that the likes of local government and local democracy are very vital and it would be tremendous to see them come back into play.”
“We have, of course, nine in Fianna Fáil, so it is a real honour to be part of that. I say thank you so much to An Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, for nominating me and for giving me this opportunity to be here today. If the House will indulge me, I would like to say a quick thank you to my family and friends who were such a tremendous support and showed so much patience while I was trying to forge my way into a new venture. That is my daughter Holly, my son Luke, my brothers Michael and Paddy, and my sister Louise. I know that my mum and dad, Pat and Phyllis Comyn, would be so proud to see me standing here in the Seanad today. I also have to say that I had a remarkable campaign team in Louth, especially in Drogheda. They nearly helped to make history by becoming the first female Fianna Fáil TD in the Drogheda area in 70 years.”
“Gabhaim míle maith ag an gCathaoirleach. I thank you very much indeed and I congratulate you on your appointment. It is very well deserved. The Cathaoirleach has a remarkable track record and he was a tremendous support to me throughout my general election campaign. I look forward to his advice and help throughout my new venture here. I congratulate all Senators here, no matter what their route was to get here. As a former journalist, I have a new-found respect for what Senators do and I wish in a way that I had been a little bit easier on them along the journey. It is a huge honour for me to be here today and I will not take that lightly nor the fact we have 27 women here today. That is 45% of the Chamber, which is definitely heading in the right direction.”