Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, has today (Thursday) announced that further funding of €320,000 has been approved by Fáilte Ireland under its National Festivals and Events Programme for 11 key national festivals and events to take place later this year.

Longford/Westmeath Fien Gael TD, Gabrielle McFadden, has applauded Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney for securing approval with the European Commission to allow ‘Old Young Farmers’ qualify for important funding under the National Reserve.

Fine Gael TD for Galway West, Sean Kyne, has welcomed the news that some of the ‘Old Young Farmers’ are to be classed as a “group suffering a specific disadvantage”, bringing to an end an anomaly that meant they missed out on supports to young farmers.

The Taoiseach travels to Brussels today, Thursday February 12th, 2015, for an Informal Meeting of Heads of State/Government.

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty, has today (Wednesday) urged the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar TD, to consider implementing a standardised national scheme to ensure equal access for children with special needs to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme, which provides a free year of early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age.

“Like all reasonable people, I am saddened and disturbed at what is happening regarding the upgrade of the N86 Tralee to Dingle road, one of the most important tourist routes in the country, and I would appeal to An Taisce to withdraw its request for a judicial review in order to allow this much needed development to go ahead”, says Paul Coghlan, Government Chief Whip in the Seanad and Fine Gael Senator for Kerry.

“As a representative of the Irish parliament, I will travel to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) in Vienna on 18th February where a new Russian representative to the PA will be appointed. The candidate is Ms Olga Kovitidi who represents Crimea. This presents a problem”, says Derek Keating, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid-West.

“The economic recovery is well underway and over 80,000 new jobs have been created. This is in no small part due to the success of the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) and now it is time to launch the rural revival through the Action Plan for Jobs – Regional”, says Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee.

Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has issued a reminder that the public consultation process for the National Broadband Plan closes tomorrow, Thursday, February 12th.