Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Noel Harrington, has said that major changes to brucellosis testing will deliver savings for farmers worth €6 million per anum.

Fine Gael Senator for Clare and the party’s Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Martin Conway, has today (Thursday), said the publication of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014 by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, will provide new robust mechanisms to protect children from sex abusers who use the internet to stalk their victims.

Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly and Member of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has today (Thursday), welcomed the publication of the new Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014 which includes her own bill on child grooming.

Fine Gael Dublin Central TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe, has called for an end to the impasse that has occurred in housing people in Fr. Scully House on Gardiner Street in Dublin 1. Minister Donohoe said that State funding had been provided for the construction of a facility to house the most vulnerable and that due to the rent levels that are being sought by the agency in charge, the building remains unoccupied.

Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire, Mary Mitchell O’Connor has today, (Thursday) welcomed the launch of the 2015 HSE Service Plan by the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar TD & Minister for Primary and Social Care, Kathleen Lynch TD.

Fine Gael Senator for Dublin South-West, Cáit Keane, has today (Thursday) welcomed the increased supports for older people in the new HSE Service Plan. Senator Keane was speaking following the announcement of an additional €10 million for the Fair Deal Scheme, the allocation of additional beds to deal with delayed discharges and the provision of increased supports to help older people stay in their own homes if they wish.

Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Joe O’Reilly has welcomed the latest official employment figures from the Central Statistics Office which show that the strongest increases in employment over the last quarter took place in the Border counties, as well as in the West and the South East.

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Peter Fitzpatrick has today, (Thursday) welcomed the launch of the 2015 HSE Service Plan by the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar TD & Minister for Primary and Social Care, Kathleen Lynch TD which will directly impact on services in County Louth.

Fine Gael Cork North Central Senator, Colm Burke, has welcomed provisions in the new HSE service plan for increased accountability for Section 38 and 39 organisations.

Cork South Central Fine Gael TD and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, has said that HSE Service Plan 2015 shows how increased funding will benefit patients. Deputy Buttimer was commenting following publication of HSE Service Plan 2015 by Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, TD, and HSE Director General, Tony O’Brien.