Regina Doherty, MEP

I welcome the opportunity to open this debate on Northern Ireland and the outcome of the political talks in Belfast which concluded on 23 December last with the Stormont House Agreement.

“Sinn Féin is trying to have it both ways, governing in prose in the North but campaigning in poetry in the South,” according to Regina Doherty, Fine Gael TD for Meath East. Budget details announced today in Belfast will result in 20,000 public sector job cuts in Northern Ireland at a time when the party here is calling for increased public sector pay.

Fine Gael Clare TD Joe Carey, has said that the announcement today by Amax that they are to create 100 new jobs in Shannon is most welcome news and represents a great start to 2015 for County Clare and the Mid- West region.

“Farmers are set to pay more for fertiliser in 2015, but with oil and gas prices falling, a similar drop in the price of fertiliser should be expected. This is something I intend to raise with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission”, said Helen McEntee, Fine Gael TD for Meath East.

“In Budget 2015, €7 million was allocated to purchase 370 new Garda vehicles. This brings to €27.5 million the figure that has been spent on new Garda vehicles between 2012 and 2015. This investment has had an immediate positive effect on the operation of the Traffic Corps”, says Alan Farrell, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal and member of the Oireachtas Justice Committee.

Brian Hayes, Fine Gael Dublin MEP and ECON Committee Member said today (Monday) that an ECB Quantitative Easing programme must not be dictated by the concerns of Germany.

“Sinn Féin’s socialist dream would nationalise the banks and tax families to the hilt, resulting in a nightmare for Irish people”, says Fine Gael TD for Wexford, Liam Twomey.

Fine Gael Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes, said today that "Now is the time for Irish exporters big and small to maximise the opportunities provided by a weak euro. Currently the euro is at a ten year low against the dollar and close to a six year low against sterling. It may go even lower as result of quantitative easing.

Oranmore native, Fine Gael Senator Hildegarde Naughton welcomed the announcement that Zimmer, a leading musculoskeletal health care company will create 250 new jobs which is part of a €51 million investment at a new Oranmore manufacturing facility.