Heather Humphreys, TD

I am pleased to support this very important legislation. As the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, said in her opening remarks, we already have a body of anti-terrorist legislation but the last major legislation was almost ten years ago and, since then, the geopolitical landscape has changed utterly. We have seen the inexorable growth of terrorism striking right into the heart of Europe, most recently in Paris, and also in Yemen, Tunisia and Nigeria.

Fine Gael Cork South West TD, Noel Harrington, has today (Thursday) welcomed the announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, that a special payment is being introduced for island farmers.

“There is huge potential for job creation at the former Braun site as it can be developed now that it has been sold”, says Fine Gael Carlow TD, Pat Deering.

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there are any constitutional or other barriers to allowing parents who fostered children, but could not adopt them at the time due to lack of consent on behalf of a birth parent, to adopt said foster children now that they are consenting adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

Cllr FitzGerald welcomed both the residential and t he commercial elements of the initiative which will see a boost in development of ‘Special Regeneration Areas’ (SRAs) in Kilkenny City.

Minister for Housing, Planning & Construction, Paudie Coffey, has today, May 5th, has announced €7.1 million for Waterford as part of a major social housing construction programme.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has announced €255,000 for group water and group sewerage schemes for Waterford in 2015. Minister Coffey said he expected that vital projects such as Blenheim Sewerage Scheme can progress quickly and draw down the funding as soon as possible.

Cllr David FitzGerald, Fine Gael Bye Election Candidate for Carlow/Kilkenny has said today that 11 new housing projects are to begin in Carlow/Kilkenny, a total investment of over €25 million as part of the first phase of the Government’s Social Housing Strategy.

Dara Murphy, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central and Minister of State for European Affairs and Data Protection has welcomed this week’s announcement by Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe TD of a review into airport charge regulation. He said that this news along with the latest tourism figures from the CSO, are good news for Cork Airport.