Fine Gael Cork Senator Colm Burke has today (Saturday) proposed a major reform to our medical education system here in a bid to encourage more newly qualified doctors to remain in Ireland after graduation. Senator Burke was speaking at the Intern Conference at UCC.

Chairman of Fine Gael’s LGBT Group, Jerry Buttimer TD, has today (Friday) said the Group is looking forward to a bumper turnout for this year’s Dublin Pride Parade, which takes place tomorrow. The Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald TD, will join other TDs and Senators, Party members, and Young Fine Gael who are all coming out in support of the LGBT community.

Chairman of Fine Gael’s LGBT Group, Jerry Buttimer TD, has today (Friday) said the Group is looking forward to a bumper turnout for this year’s Dublin Pride Parade, which takes place tomorrow. The Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald TD, will join other TDs and Senators, Party members, and Young Fine Gael who are all coming out in support of the LGBT community.

Ashtown-Castleknock Greenway is third section completed And preferred route from Athlone to Galway announced as: Shannonbridge, Loughrea, Craughwell, Clarinbridge and Oranmore

Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor, is calling for an international branding campaign for Irish beef to be established, which would highlight the fact that Irish cattle are grass-fed, giving our beef a better flavour. Deputy Lawlor has suggested that the campaign could be styled on the Kerrygold marketing drive, which pitches the product as ‘the one and only Irish butter’.

Minister Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. and the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice, David Ford, MLA, met in Dublin today. This was their first meeting since Minister Fitzgerald's appointment as Minister for Justice and Equality.

Fine Gael Meath West TD and Chairman of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee, Damien English, has said protecting jobs must be the priority when dealing with the large level of debt within the SME sector. Deputy English was responding to the findings of a Central Bank report published yesterday, which shows that 41% of loans owed by the sector are in arrears.

This is one of the truly delightful perks of Ministerial office. I can't remember who it was who described politics as "a cruel trade" but whoever it was missed out on occasions like this, when the Minister gets to be part of the collective celebration of individual achievement.

Speaking following the announcement by Aer Lingus that it will accept the recommendations of the Expert Panel on the IASS pension scheme, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said:

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the poor standard and quality of broadband and mobile phone technology...