Regina Doherty, MEP

Fine Gael TD for Kildare South, and Chair of the Party’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Martin Heydon, has welcomed the requirement by Minister for Communications, Alex White, for commercial operators to sign up to commitment contracts for areas where they wish to provide broadband services. Without these contracts, the areas cannot be removed from the Government High Speed Broadband Map.

“All Sinn Fèin candidates planning to go before the people need to state if they share their party leader’s attitude to the justice system or if they support the courts?”, says Fine Gael TD for Limerick, Patrick O’Donovan.

Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has said that while the local response to recent flooding has been fantastic, preparations for more frequent incidents must be made as climate change becomes an issue.

Fine Gael TD for Kildare South, and Chair of Fine Gael’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Martin Heydon, has said that Punchestown Racecourse will benefit from a significant upgrade to the value of €6.2 million.

Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has reminded everyone to spend some time with their elderly friends and neighbours this Christmas.

Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Jim Daly, who also is Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Education Committee, has welcomed the news that the practise of primary schools demanding cash payments from parents will come to an end.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has said that he was delighted to receive confirmation from his Ministerial Colleague, Minister of Justice Frances Fitzgerald TD that the works for the refurbishment and extension of Waterford City Courthouse are due to begin in the coming weeks after the contracts were signed. Minister Coffey said the total cost of this project will amount to around €20 million and will expand the current number of court rooms from two to six.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has said that new tax equalisation measures will benefit self- employed people in Waterford, helping to create even more jobs.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has welcomed the successful outcome of the negotiations for fishing quotas for 2016. This agreement was negotiated by my colleague Minister for Agriculture, Food and The Marine Simon Coveney TD in Brussells that will benefit Fishermen around Waterford and in particular Dunmore East.

Longford/Westmeath Fine Gael TD, Gabrielle McFadden, has welcomed the inclusion of €300,000 in the HSE’s Service Plan for 2016, to help complete the €3.6 million upgrade of the Emergency Department at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar.