Senator Garret Ahearn

I am thankful for the opportunity to raise with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, the overall shortage of secondary school places for children with autism spectrum disorder and the additional difficulties raised by the application of an admissions policy for ASD classes that protects a particular religious ethos.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Croke Park for the launch of the Government’s €250 million plan to ensure that no part of Ireland is left behind in the jobs recovery.

“Two unused airstrips built on the west coast at a cost of €9 million is a classic example of the Fianna Fáil ‘if we have it, we spend it’ approach to government,” says Gabrielle McFadden, Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath and member of the Public Accounts Committee.

Fine Gael Senator for Dublin South-West, Cáit Keane, has called on Minister of State with responsibility for Housing, Paudie Coffey, to re- instate an affordable housing provision for the Dublin area in newly proposed planning legislation. Senator Keane was speaking after the presentation of various Irish planning stakeholders to the Joint Oireachtas Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht Committee meeting this week where the general scheme of the Planning and Development (no. 1) Bill 2014 was discussed. Social housing provision, development contributions, a vacant site levy and planning permissions were the main issues addressed at the meeting.

Fine Gael Kildare South TD, Martin Heydon, has said that the new mortgage guidelines issued by the Central Bank this week do not apply fully to those who already own a house and are in negative equity.

“Earlier this week in the Dáil Sinn Féin criticised the Government’s housing strategy that will see €3.8 billion invested in housing over the next six years. But in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Féin are in government, the department responsible for housing has had its budget cut by 10% this year,” said Minister Paudie Coffey.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has today (Friday) attended the official sod-turning of the new the new plant at Smartply with Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine Tom Hayes TD. €59 million will be invested in Smartply in Belview Port that will create 300 construction jobs.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin South, Olivia Mitchell, has today (Thursday) welcomed the announcement of 100 new jobs by ICON, which is based in the South County Business Park.

Fine Gael TD for Longford/Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has said that a new €25 million competitive fund will benefit the Midlands as part of the Government’s Regional Enterprise Strategy.

The Government today (Thursday) published the Action Plan for Jobs 2015, the next step in the multi-annual process aimed at delivering full employment by 2018.