Martin Heydon, TD

Fine Gael Wexford Senator, Michael D’Arcy, has today (Wednesday) said that he has been in contact with a group of hoteliers in the South East, who are offering to provide hotel accommodation for 300 Croke Park residents free of charge for the five nights of the Garth Brooks concerts, if they withdraw their objections to the events.

Fine Gael TD and member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has, today (Wednesday), presented recommendations from the committee for a comprehensive study on the impact of funding through the arts.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar has today signed an agreement to allow for mutual exchange of driving licences between Ireland and Ontario.

Fine Gael Kerry TD, Brendan Griffin, has today (Tuesday), welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Housing and Planning, that 22 vacant Kerry homes are to be brought back into use within twelve months.

New targets for 50,000 extra jobs in tourism and hospitality and €1.7 billion more in annual revenue from tourism have been proposed by Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring.

Fine Gael Cork South Central TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Friday) welcomed the decision by the Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly, to restore funding to a number of health, disability and other organisations for a twelve month period, following a review of the SSNO scheme.

Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne, has today (Tuesday) said that Dublin City Council is to be allocated almost €4 million in Government funding to turn 236 vacant units across the city into homes. The Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has announced that €15 million has been allocated nationally to bring 1,008 vacant local authority units into use.

Fine Gael Laois/Offaly TD, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has today (Tuesday) severely criticised Fianna Fáil, saying the Party’s Private Members’ Motion on the Free Travel Pass is deliberately designed to scare older people.

Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government today (7 July, 2014) held a meeting to discuss the possibility of future Governance Arrangements, including a Directly Elected Mayor for Dublin. The meeting took place in the Custom House, at the request of the Mayors, and a frank exchange of views took place.

Fine Gael TD for Mayo, John O’Mahony, has criticised the suggestion that the State should end subsidies to Knock airport. Deputy O’Mahony was responding to a recent Irish Times article, which quoted the Director of the National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies, Professor Jim Deegan, as saying that the State should end subsidies to regional airports including Ireland West Airport Knock, amongst others.