Damien English, TD

Fine Gael Dublin South TD, Olivia Mitchell, has today (Tuesday) expressed her reservations about the abolition of the Senate. Speaking in Dáil Éireann on the Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013 Deputy Mitchell said: "I certainly don't dispute the need for reform and I know there is a perceived need and temptation in difficult times to streamline everything, even democracy. But abolishing the Senate is fairly dramatic and far reaching.

With the Taoiseach and most people in this country I fully appreciate the need to reform our political system so that we can give full expression to our democracy. I do not subscribe to the view that ours is the worst political system but neither is it the best that it can be and when it was really put to the test no one can deny that it massively failed the people in neither preventing nor even anticipating the economic bust that has visited such hardship on all of our people. It is that failure that has underpinned the consensus around the need for reform of our politics and probably for radical change. What is not so clear, though, is how that should happen and what form it should take.

Fine Gael Cork South West Deputy, Jim Daly, has said the provision of €60,000 in total for the development of a cycle greenway from Cork to Kinsale is great news for the area in terms of tourism and the knock-on benefits for local business.

Local Government TD, Frank Feighan, has warmly welcomed the granting of planning permission for the state-of-the-art €3m Endoscopy Unit at Roscommon County Hospital.

Speaking following the sod turning ceremony of a new 50-bed acute adult mental health in-patient unit on the Cork University Hospital (CUH) campus, Fine Gael Cork North West Deputy, Áine Collins, said it is crucial that those seeking mental health treatment are cared for in facilities, such as this one, that are fit for purpose.

In a world that has never been as connected, it is surely to our shame that the issues of hunger, malnutrition and stunting remain recalcitrant.

Two Lucan students, Aoife Greally and Joshua Odidison, joined local Fine Gael TD, Derek Keating, at the Gaiety Theatre yesterday for the special Riverdance performance which was staged for the Obama family.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D., today congratulated Irish boxers for their outstanding and historic achievements winning four medals at the European Boxing Championships in Belarus.

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there will be a recognition in her plans for reform of childcare and pre school care facilities for staff members who may have been working in childcare for an appropriate number of years to receive an exemption from the FETAC level five qualification; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Fine Gael TD for Roscommon/South Leitrim, Frank Feighan, has moved to dispel misleading commentary about the levels and availability of LEADER funding in County Roscommon. Deputy Feighan has highlighted that while Roscommon Integrated Development Company has approved more than €9m in LEADER funding for local projects since 2009, only €3.5m has actually been drawn down for completed projects over this four year period.