On 14th May last, I referred to the Garda Inspectorate the O’Mahoney Report and the Garda Professional Standards Unit Report into the Fixed Charge Notice issue. I set out and provided to the Garda Inspectorate seven principles which I believed should inform the operation of the Fixed Charge Processing System:

Speaking today, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “I welcome the High Court ruling which should allow the State airports to operate normal services this Friday. I have said on a number of occasions that the strike should have been deferred given that the Expert Panel is currently engaging with all parties involved in the dispute.”

Alan Shatter TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, has paid tribute to Mrs. Christine Buckley who today passed away following a long illness.

Next week’s meeting of the European Council was originally scheduled to be the first of 2014. However, as you are aware, an extraordinary meeting of EU Heads of State and Government was called in Brussels last week to discuss the deeply worrying situation in Ukraine.

Fine Gael Cork South Central TD and Chair of Fine Gael’s LGBT Group, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Saturday) welcomed the passage of a motion at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in support of marriage equality.

Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Education and Skills, Ciaran Cannon TD, will tomorrow (Sunday) represent the Government at the St Pat’s for All parade in New York city. The annual event, which includes LGBT groups, community groups, children's bands, Irish organisations and religious and civic groups, celebrates the Irish community in New York.

The Deputy’s Bill is, in part, a response to the Roscommon child care case. An Inquiry Team chaired by Ms. Norah Gibbons presented a report into that case to the HSE in October, 2010. I am conscious that the preface of the report referred to the wave of publicity and comment that followed the sentencing of the mother and father in 2009 and 2010, respectively for physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

Fine Gael Kildare South TD, Martin Heydon, has today (Saturday) highlighted the potential of a return to sugar beet production in Ireland. Speaking at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at the RDS, he called on the Government to support the ongoing efforts to re-establish the industry.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD, today published the Joint Probation Service and Irish Prison Service Women’s Strategy 2014 - 2016 entitled “An Effective Response to Women Who Offend”. This joint strategy sets out how the two agencies will provide tailored interventions for women with the aim to reduce offending among women and improve outcomes.