To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there are any constitutional or other barriers to allowing parents who fostered children, but could not adopt them at the time due to lack of consent on behalf of a birth parent, to adopt said foster children now that they are consenting adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

Cllr FitzGerald welcomed both the residential and t he commercial elements of the initiative which will see a boost in development of ‘Special Regeneration Areas’ (SRAs) in Kilkenny City.

Minister for Housing, Planning & Construction, Paudie Coffey, has today, May 5th, has announced €7.1 million for Waterford as part of a major social housing construction programme.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has announced €255,000 for group water and group sewerage schemes for Waterford in 2015. Minister Coffey said he expected that vital projects such as Blenheim Sewerage Scheme can progress quickly and draw down the funding as soon as possible.

Cllr David FitzGerald, Fine Gael Bye Election Candidate for Carlow/Kilkenny has said today that 11 new housing projects are to begin in Carlow/Kilkenny, a total investment of over €25 million as part of the first phase of the Government’s Social Housing Strategy.

Dara Murphy, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central and Minister of State for European Affairs and Data Protection has welcomed this week’s announcement by Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe TD of a review into airport charge regulation. He said that this news along with the latest tourism figures from the CSO, are good news for Cork Airport.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week, Fine Gael Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes said new information from the EU highlights that we in Ireland need to do more in offering refuge to those seeking asylum. Part of that must be to look again at a binding quota system in light of the disaster in the Mediterranean.

Longford/Westmeath Fine Gael TD, Gabrielle McFadden, has welcomed the news that the €4million upgrade of the A&E at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar is set to start shortly.

To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a change to the payment system for public sector pensions is being considered; if so, the measures that are being proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

“Today’s housing announcement for Bluebell signifies a new beginning for the 19 families who have recently moved into their new homes”, says Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne.