Fine Gael Senator for Cork North Central, Colm Burke, has welcomed the amendment of the Building Control Regulations for new single dwellings on a single development unit and domestic extensions. The amendment came into effect on September 1st. The new regulations will allow owners/builders to opt out of the statutory certification. They will however, still have to demonstrate full compliance with building regulations.

Fine Gael Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune, a negotiator on the EU employment budget team, is pushing for a half a billion euro increase in the EU budgets to tackle youth unemployment across the EU. Speaking after a budgets meeting in the European Parliament today, MEP Clune described the funding as critical to getting our young people back to work.

Yesterday I received the final draft of the Interim Report of the Commission of Investigation that focused on the events leading up to the retirement of then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in March of 2014, and on the handling of a letter of 10 March 2014 from the then Commissioner to the Department of Justice.

“After a long and difficult period of reflection, I have decided that I will not contest the upcoming Fine Gael selection convention for the Dublin Rathdown constituency.

Fine Gael Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes, has today (Monday), highlighted the opportunities for Ireland from European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker's €315 billion investment plan for Europe. Mr Hayes said he will seek a meeting with the European Investment Bank to promote Ireland’s projects.

The Minister of State at the Department of Finance and Fine Gael TD for Wicklow, Simon Harris, said today (Monday) that lowering the tax burden on ordinary workers and families will strengthen the economic recovery that is taking hold.

Fine Gael Clare Senator, Martin Conway, has today (Friday) welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan that students in the asylum protection system will have access to student supports from September 2015.