An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-28
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Alison Comyn (FF), Nominated by the Taoiseach

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. 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. 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. I urge parents to have a word with their children. We do not want to stop fun but they are not invincible. I have asked previously for a debate on making swimming lessons compulsory and freely available in primary schools across the country. It would be timely to ask again for that debate.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-28