Fine Gael Dublin Rathdown Senator, Neale Richmond, today (Monday) welcomed the opening of a public consultation into expanding the operating days of the Dún Laoghaire Lexicon library to include Sundays.

Fine Gael Limerick Senator, Maria Byrne, has highlighted that Limerick schools have featured prominently in a list compiled by Independent News and Media detailing the best schools in Ireland on the basis of college entry.

The Taoiseach will welcome Prime Minister May to Government Buildings later today, Monday 30 January 2017, for a Summit meeting.

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has welcomed new figures showing significant progress in tackling long-term unemployment in 2016, with the Government exceeding its own target to help 20,000 people back into employment by an additional 6,000 people.

The Fine Gael Party position is, has been and will remain, not to enter into coalition government with Sinn Fèin.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, today welcomed the publication of official data on overseas travel for 2016 from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which showed an increase of 10.9% in overseas visits to Ireland for 2016 compared to 2015. There was a record breaking total of 9,584,400 visits to Ireland in 2016.

Deputy Daly who represents the Cork South West constituency and is Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, said families seeking childcare assistance will soon benefit by up to almost €1,000 annually through the new Affordable Childcare Scheme.

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Simon Coveney, T.D., signed Orders today designating 23 towns and all of Galway city as *Rent Pressure Zones. Dublin and Cork City were designated as Rent Pressure Zones before Christmas. The Orders take effect tomorrow, 27 January 2017.

Fine Gael Dublin Rathdown Senator and Government spokesman on EU Affairs in the Seanad, Neale Richmond, today (Thursday) welcomed reports by Bloomberg that Barclays Bank is to hire 150 staff in their Dublin offices, saying this must be just the beginning in terms of attracting jobs to Ireland in order to offset the overall negatives of Brexit.

Fine Gael Senator and Seanad Spokesperson on EU Affairs, Neale Richmond, has once again urged Minister for Health, Simon Harris, to fight to bring the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to Ireland from London ahead of Brexit.