Listening to Mary Lou McDonald today, it is clear that Sinn Fein would have no problem whatsoever putting Fianna Fáil back in power. On RTE’s Saturday with Claire Byrne, Deputy McDonald was asked whether there were circumstances where Sinn Fein would go into government with Fianna Fáil after the next election, and she said quite…

Dublin Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Justice Committee Sean Kenny has welcomed the announcement of seven new Garda Youth Diversion Projects that will be getting underway in 2016. In addition, a new pilot mentoring service which deals with young people who come to the attention of An Garda Síochána will also be implemented….

The insurance companies can’t have it both ways. They won’t insure where they believe there are inadequate flood defences, and where adequate flood defences have been installed, they won’t insure either because there was flooding there in the past. Parts of my constituency of Dublin Central were prone to flooding in the past. East Wall,…

Cork South Central Labour TD Ciarán Lynch, welcomed the news that funding of €50,000 has been confirmed for Cork International Choral Festival this week, saying that it would help the event to expand and grow into the future. Deputy Lynch added: “This vital funding, approved by Fáilte Ireland under its 2016 National Festivals and Events…

The public confidence in and the credibility of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is completely shot following last night’s Prime Time investigation. The programme completely exposed the failings and shortcomings in the corporate culture, governance, reliability and competence of the EPA as it is currently constituted. Underpinned by legislation the EPA is virtually unaccountable and…

“We need to put the same effort into highlighting Ireland as a global arts and culture centre as we do as a business location” The Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party, Joan Burton TD, is proposing to host a major Global Arts Forum for Ireland and believes work on it should get underway by…

I welcome the announcement that the Springboard + Initiative in Higher Education is offering free courses in Cork and elsewhere around the country this term in a number of different and growing sectors. Springboard + Initiative is an opportunity for people out of work to get a foot back on the ladder of education and…

I am calling on Sinn Fein TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh to state whether or not he supports the comments of his Northern colleague and Education Minister John O’Dowd, telling people to think very carefully about entering the teaching profession. Speaking yesterday, Minister O’Dowd said that due to the budget cuts that Sinn Fein negotiated, agreed,…