Simon Coveney, TD

Committee Stage of the Legal Services Regulation Bill Resumes on 12 February The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter TD, has confirmed that he has circulated today the Government’s amendments to Parts 7, 8 and 9 of the Legal Services Regulation Bill which will be discussed when the Bill resumes Committee Stage on 12 February. These three Parts of the Bill deal with the:

Speaking today about the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital, Fine Gael TD for Dublin South, Minister Alan Shatter said:

Fine Gael TD for Roscommon/South Leitrim, Frank Feighan, has welcomed the news that the construction project to build the €4 million Endoscopy Unit at Roscommon County Hospital (RCH) is set to formally go out to tender.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, today joined with Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children & Youth Affairs to officially launch the new Child and Family Agency.

Fine Gael Dublin Senator, Catherine Noone, has today (Thursday) strongly criticised what she described as the exorbitant rates being charged by some city centre hotels for accommodation for the weekend of the Garth Brooks’ concerts in Croke Park.

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has written to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), urging it to take issues such as hard water into account when it sets rates for water charges, which are due to be introduced at the end of this year. Deputy Doherty also raised the issue in a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan TD.

Fine Gael Meath East TD, Regina Doherty, has today (Thursday) welcomed clarification from the HSE on how it plans to improve the ambulance service it provides in the North East region. Deputy Doherty received the update at a meeting with local TDs, the Minister for Health, James Reilly TD, and Martin Dunne, the Director of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to discuss issues with the service in the region.

Cork South Central Fine Gael TD and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Thursday) said that the launch of the single dedicated Child and Family Agency represents a significant reform and will ensure a more cohesive delivery of services.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, T.D., today confirmed that Part 3 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 (No. 32 of 2013), which increases the monetary jurisdiction of the Circuit Court and District Court, will take effect from the 3rd of February 2014. The Act increases the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court to €75,000 and of the District Court to €15,000.

Alan Shatter TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, today published the General Scheme of a Children and Family Relationships Bill.