Fine Gael candidate for the Roscommon/South Leitrim bye- election, Cllr Maura Hopkins, has welcomed today’s funding allocation of €55,000 by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan to support the delivery of anti-bullying training sessions for parents in 2014.

Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has said that today’s official opening of RTE’s new Midlands Regional Studio at Athlone Institute of Technology is a clear endorsement of the national broadcaster’s commitment to its news and programming output in the Midlands. The official opening was performed by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan.

Fine Gael Senator and the Party’s candidate in the upcoming Dublin South-West bye-election, Cáit Keane, has today (Monday) welcomed the correspondence from President Jimmy Carter to An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, detailing his views on prostitution and the need to criminalise the purchase of sex.

The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. and Dara Murphy, T.D., Minister of State for European Affairs will travel to Brussels for the special meeting of the European Council today (Saturday, 30 August).

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD today congratulated Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, on his election as the next President of the European Council.

Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Joe O’Reilly believes Cavan should be considered as a potential location for housing development and has been made representations to the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing, Paudie Coffey TD on the issue.

The joint Enterprise Ireland/IDA mission includes more than 40 high-level meetings and events to target opportunities in financial services, ICT and healthcare

Minister Dara Murphy attended the Informal meeting of Ministers for European Affairs yesterday and today (Thursday and Friday 28/29 August) in Milan.

Minister Donohoe has welcomed the intervention by the Labour Relations Commission in the Irish Rail dispute.

Fine Gael Senator for Cork North Central, Senator Colm Burke has called for a renewed focus on the provision of service dogs in Ireland ahead the Service Dogs of Ireland Seminar which will be held in the Corrin Event Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork, next month. Senator Burke was speaking today at the press launch of the conference.