Senator Seán Kyne

Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Alan Kelly TD, Minister for Public and Commuter Transport, joined Gerry Murphy, Chief Executive of the National Transport Authority, to launch the Authority’s Integrated Implementation Plan 2013-2018 at the construction site at the Rosie Hackett Bridge, which will take south-bound trams across the Liffey when the Luas Cross City opens for operations in 2017.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has officially opened the N3 Belturbet Bypass which includes 6.7km of new road and a cable stay bridge across the River Erne.

Fine Gael Carlow TD, Pat Deering, has welcomed the news that €4.5 million in funding is being provided to local authorities for regional and local road works under the Community Involvement Scheme (CIS).

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow and Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food, Andrew Doyle, has welcomed the publication of the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014, which will finally see action regarding the long-standing issue of fair trade in the food chain, for the food producers and processors in Ireland. The overdue legislation has been published in response to the 2013 Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s cross-party report entitled, ‘Increasing equity and transparency in producer-processor-retailer relationships’.

Fine Gael Wicklow/East Carlow TD and member of the Public Accounts Committee, Simon Harris TD, has today (Wednesday) said that Angela Kerins’ resignation from her role as CEO of Rehab leaves many questions unanswered.

The Minister for Health, James Reilly, T.D. today 2 April published “The Path to Universal Healthcare: White Paper on Universal Health Insurance”.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter TD, today said, “I have asked the Inspector of Prisons to carry out an urgent independent investigation into all the circumstances surrounding the recording of telephone conversations between prisoners and their solicitors.

Speaking at the Joint Committee on European Affairs this afternoon (Tuesday), Minister for European Affairs, Paschal Donohoe TD, said that the Government’s National Reform Programme, which was being discussed, will ensure that the progress that has been made in the last number of years is not lost and that Ireland remains on the right path in the years ahead.

3 years ago the Irish people voted for Change. Change in the way we run our economy. Change akin the way we manage our finances. Change in our health system.

I am delighted to be back with you for this year’s Transport Ireland Conference. I’d like to thank the organisers and the other speakers for facilitating me by changing the running order this morning. I was answering Parliamentary Questions in the Dáil earlier and couldn’t be here for the opening slot.