The Government received a detailed briefing from the Tánaiste this morning on the recent revelations regarding the Garda handling of matters relating to Mandatory Alcohol Testing and Fixed Charge Notices.

Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, together with his colleague, Mr Paschal Donohoe T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, today (28 March) announced the approval for 34 public infrastructure projects across 15 Local Authority areas.

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has said that changes made to vending machines in some Government Departments to offer healthier options to staff are the way forward, adding that other workplaces, school buildings, and particularly hospitals should follow suit.

“I am delighted to announce funding of €45,000 to the Inishowen Development Partnership as part of the Irish Aid development education annual grants scheme for 2017. “These annual grants reflect our commitment to support community and academic groups to raise awareness of issue of global hunger, poverty and injustice and of, crucially, what we as citizens can do together to take on these issues.

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar & Minister for Education & Skills Richard Bruton have announced a €3 million expansion of the school meals programme from September. Up to 245 schools will either join the programme or see their services expanded with around 47,000 pupils benefiting from school lunches or breakfasts.

On the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the formal start of the European project, Fine Gael Senator and spokesman on EU affairs, Neale Richmond, has said that European prosperity is worth fighting for.

Cork-based Fine Gael senator, Tim Lombard, has said aviation safety should not be compromised by a proposed new incinerator in Cork Harbour.　

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has said education and awareness are key to improving cancer outcomes.

Fine Gael Cork Senator Tim Lombard has said Fianna Fáil’s amendment to the Heritage Bill on hedge cutting is useless for farmers.

Minister McHugh met Congressman Brendan F. Boyle and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney in Washington DC. It follows recent meetings with representatives of Irish immigration centres while in Philadelphia and New York for St Patrick’s Day-related engagements. Those meetings also included contacts with the wider Irish community, including undocumented Irish citizens.