Fine Gael Cork based Senator, Tim Lombard, has called for the introduction of guidelines to assist Local Authorities with planning applications for solar farms.

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has today (Wednesday) said that hotels and restaurants must be included in any change to the law banning alcohol sales on Good Friday. Senator Noone was speaking today (Wednesday) as the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017 was debated in the Seanad.

Cystic Fibrosis patients in Donegal are set to benefit from a new deal between the Health Service Executive and pharmaceutical company, Vertex, which will see Orkambi and Kalydeco made available from next month. The HSE are now working to finalise the contractual terms to make sure we have the best and most robust deal possible for CF patients and the healthcare service overall.

Fine Gael Ireland South MEP and member of the European Parliament's Commission of Inquiry into the Volkswagen Emissions scandal, Deirdre Clune, has welcomed the Committee’s final report on the use of defeat devices which was adopted in the European Parliament, Strasbourg. The report called for compensation for European consumers, as well as highlighting the ways in which car testing and the supervisory process must be improved to prevent the use of defeat devices in the future.

Fine Gael TD for Cork South West, and Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Jim Daly, has encouraged childcare providers to avail of new Government grants to establish new services or to expand existing services, in order to cater for children of school going age.

A range of new Government measures designed to protect the future of Community Employment (CE) Schemes will widen the range of people in Donegal that can take part, Minister Joe McHugh said today.

Fine Gael introduced paid Paternity Leave in September 2016. This provides two weeks' benefit, currently paid at the weekly rate of €235 per week, to support fathers in caring for their newly born babies.

Donegal TD Joe McHugh has welcomed school building extensions for Special Needs areas at two schools in Donegal. The additional accommodation projects will go ahead at Scoil Roisin at Roshine, Dungloe and Finn Valley College in Stranorlar.

Minister Varadkar, Minister Harris and Minister McGrath together published the “Make Work Pay” Report, designed to help people with disabilities to achieve their ambitions and find work, and to remove the many barriers which prevent them from doing so.