Fergus O'Dowd, TD

To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of training courses available for unemployed persons who had been self-employed and now wish to upskill; her views that every opportunity should be provided to all persons wishing to upskill in order to re-enter the workforce; if there are plans to allow greater access to training courses to all unemployed persons, irrespective of their previous occupation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Anthony Lawlor, TD for Kildare North today, Tuesday, November 17, welcomed the announcement that 11 schools in Kildare North are to receive significant funding under a multi-million euro school building programme.

"The proposed reform of the passport system will make it more efficient for applicants and could also free up the Gardaí from passport related administrative duties," says Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor.

"The proposed reform of the passport system will make it more efficient for applicants and could also free up the Gardaí from passport related administrative duties," says Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor.

Fine Gael TD for Galway East, Ciaran Cannon, says the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Kinvara is very welcome and will end the totally unacceptable practice of untreated sewage being discharged directly into Kinvara Bay.

“The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, this week announced the provision of the first three of 64 ambulances being provided this year by Wilker Auto Converters of Clara, Co. Offaly”, says Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey has said the live register in Waterford has fallen to its lowest level since December 2008. Waterford suffered terribly as a result of the economic collapse and we had unemployment hit a peak of over 15,500 people. This was the legacy of Fianna Fail and their economic mismanagement that destroyed families across Waterford City and County.

Fine Gael Waterford Minister Paudie Coffey was today delighted to attend and open the new Waterpark National School building in Waterford City. Commenting on the event Minister Coffey stated:

I am pleased to confirm that the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has announced the list of schools who are to be included in the School Building Projects 2016 – 2021, in order to continue to meet the accommodation requirements of our growing school going population.

I, too, welcome this Finance Bill. I have been speaking on Finance Bills in one way or another since I was first elected to the council in 1998. In those days I was dealing with the finances of the local authority. Here we deal with the finances of the nation.