Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring has announced that the 2014 Sports Capital Programme will open for applications today, Friday at 12 noon and has urged all sports clubs and organisations to register as soon as possible to be in with a chance of accessing the €40 million in funding available.

Fine Gael Kildare North TD, Bernard Durkan, has today (Thursday) welcomed this week's announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, of an investment of over €12 billion in agriculture sector between now and 2020.

Fine Gael Kildare North TD, Bernard Durkan, has today (Thursday) welcomed this week's announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, of an investment of over €12 billion in agriculture sector between now and 2020.

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the revised incremental salary scales to address the imbalance between those who entered the public service since 2011 and those who entered before that date, as referenced in the Haddington Road Agreement, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider introducing a statutory limit on the amount of fees that a pension fund can charge as is proposed in the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter?

Fine Gael Kildare North TD, Bernard Durkan, has today (Thursday) welcomed this week’s announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, of an investment of over €12 billion in agriculture sector between now and 2020.

Fine Gael Kerry Senator and Seanad Chief Whip, Paul Coghlan, has called on the OPW to take necessary action to slow the alarming scale of coastal erosion at Rossbeigh in Kerry, and to salvage what is left of the dunes. Senator Coghlan made his call during an Adjournment Debate in the Seanad this week.

Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Noel Harrington, has today (Thursday) welcomed the inclusion of the Fisheries Amendment Bill on the A list of the Government’s legislative programme, saying the Bill will be delivered during this Dáil session.

Fine Gael Cork Senator, Deirdre Clune, has today (Thursday) said that new research shows that we need to debunk myths about studying science subjects if we want to attract more young women into the tech industry. The research, carried out as part of the Women Invent Tomorrow Initiative being run by Silicon Republic, is the first of its kind in Ireland and looks at why there are so few women qualified in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Helen McEntee, has today (Thursday) said that the results of the HGV toll holiday on the M3, which was carried out late last year, show that a bypass is the only long-term sustainable solution for Slane. During the toll holiday the number of HGVs passing through the village dropped by an average of 40%.