So that’s Friday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Center Parcs resort launches officially to the public on Monday, but today the gates were opened for an invite-only weekend.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will reveal what sanctions he will take against Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey over the swing case controversy next week — but will refuse to publish the report into what happened because of written deals with those involved.

The Government will make no decision on Phil Hogan’s future as EU agriculture commissioner for at least 10 days amid growing demands from farmers for him to be removed from office.

A large element of the mainland European arm of family holiday resort company Center Parcs - which is set to open in Ireland at the end of this month - looks set to be sold.

Center Parcs opens at Longford this summer. Vickie Maye visits the Woburn Park resort near London to see what Irish families can expect.

Ireland is unlikely to reach a housing supply balance, of 30,000-40,000 new builds per year, by 2021, according to one of the country’s largest construction firms.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar planted an oak tree to mark the start of construction at the €23m Center Parcs Longford Forest holiday village in Co Longford yesterday.

Natural gas is to be piped into Longford for the first time following the signing of a €3m deal with holiday village operators Center Parcs.

The first of a number of construction contracts for the Center Parcs Longford Forest holiday village has been awarded to Co Westmeath firm Bennett Construction Limited.

Center Parcs' plan to build a holiday village in Co. Longford has got approval from An Bord Pleanála.

Coillte is to switch from a sale to a lease model with regard to non-core land assets in a bid to generate recurring income.

Detailed proposals for Ireland’s first Center Parcs holiday resort have been put on display with a planning application to be made in the autumn.

The acquisition of Center Parcs UK by one of the world’s largest commercial real estate companies will have no impact on plans to bring 1,000 permanent jobs to the Midlands as part of its first venture into the Irish market.

One of the UK’s biggest holiday firms is looking to corner the market on Irish staycations, by opening a multi-million euro holiday complex in the Midlands.

TOUR America continues to offer cut-price deals but you’ll have to be quick to catch the best of the bargains on sale between Monday and Saturday.

Takeover fever on Wall Street fuelled a festive feeling on the London market today.

Weakness in shares of advertising giant WPP added to ongoing oil price worries today as the the FTSE 100 Index dipped into negative territory.

A late surge by blue-chip shares helped the FTSE 100 Index close the session in positive territory today.

British holiday village operator Center Parcs today unveiled annual profits of £24.4m (€36.6m) as it said efforts to find a fifth site were going well.

Companies reporting results next week include:

Scottish & Newcastle is expected to unveil plans for further disposals in its full-year results next week.