Helen McEntee, TD

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Fergus O’Dowd, has welcomed the decrease in the number of people on the live register, both nationally and locally.

Fine Gael Senator for Cork North Central and the party’s Spokesperson for Health in the Seanad, has today welcomed ongoing discussion between the HSE’s Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit and the manufacturer of Fampridine (brand name Fampyra) about its inclusion on the Drug Payment Scheme. Senator Burke was speaking after he raised a Commencement Motion on the matter in the Seanad with Minister Kathleen Lynch.

Fine Gael Senator for Louth, Jim D’Arcy has welcomed the outcome of an expert group review of mental health legislation which calls for the removal of power to administer electroconvulsive therapy where a patient can give consent but is unwilling to do so.

Former Mayor of Kilkenny, David Fitzgerald will represent Fine Gael in the Carlow-Kilkenny Bye-Election.

Fine Gael Longford/Westmeath TD, Gabrielle McFadden, has welcomed a statement issued by the HSE which has put an end to the ill-founded speculation that the Hospice in Athlone is facing closure.

Fine Gael, Cork North Central TD and Minister for European Affairs, Dara Murphy TD, has warmly welcomed today's announcement by DAA Cork Airport, that UK airline Flybe will operate a new Cork – Cardiff route.

Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central and Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, has welcomed the announcement of a new twice-weekly all year round Cardiff service to Cork airport with FlyBe.

“Rural communities are set to benefit most from the recent significant investments in the dairy industry”, says Fine Gael TD for Cork North West, Áine Collins.

Senator Catherine Noone has today called on the Government to consider making it mandatory to have food and drinks manufacturers display “traffic light” calorie labels. Her comments come after it was revealed that a major soft drinks manufacturer will be tailoring their products to include the “green, amber, red” system on all of their Irish beverages later this year.

I welcome the Bill and support its provisions generally. I will deal first with the two clarifications provided for in section 3 in respect of qualification for carer's benefit, carer's allowance and the carer's respite care grant.