Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan Monaghan, Chairman of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party. Co-Chair British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, Executive Member North/South Inter-Parliamentary Association, Member Oireachtas Committee on Implementation of Good Friday Agreement
” I welcome the decision by my colleague Dara Calleary TD Minister for Community and Rural Development to allocate €38,315 towards the hosting of Agricultural Shows this year in Arva, Virginia, Tydavnet and Castleblayney.
These Shows showcase locally produced quality food products and crafts and are also a great opportunity for local voluntary groups to show the wide range of recreational, sporting and social activities in all our communities.
I compliment all involved on their hard and diligent work on an annual basis in the different show committees”. stated Brendan Smith TD.
€1.57 million for Greenway development in Cavan and Monaghan
€810,000 for Active Travel Projects in Cavan and Monaghan
Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed further funding allocation by the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, TD, towards the development of Greenways in Cavan and Monaghan.
Among the projects to be funded are:
Cavan North West Greenway –
Cavan Town to Belturbet to Ballyconnell € 120,000
Cavan County Council Greenway’s support € 150,000
Ulster Canal Smithboro Clones € 75,000
Ulster Canal Greenway Smithboro to Monaghan € 75,000
Ulster Canal Greenway
Monaghan to Northern Ireland Border €1,000,000
Monaghan County Council Greenway’s support € 150,000
Funding is also being allocated under the Active Travel Programme to include:
N87 Bawnboy € 60,000
N2 Cyclepath – Phase 3 to Emyvale Village € 300,000
N2 Cyclepath – Corlat RoB to Collegiate College € 300,000
N2 Monaghan, Corlat to Coolshannagh € 50,000
Deputy Smith said: “This funding allocated is hugely important road safety and Greenways in Cavan and Monaghan. It is part of the government’s investment in improving our roads and greenways infrastructure.
“Continued investment in greenways is welcome, as they protect important habitats and provide corridors for people and wildlife. They help improve air and water quality and provide enjoyable and safe options for transportation, which reduces air pollution, so it is important they continue to receive appropriate investment.
Fianna Fáil in government in recent years ensured massive investment in the restoration of the Ulster Canal and these further allocations today by Minister Darragh O’Brien build on that critical project which will be a very important tourism attraction for County Monaghan and the border region.
In recent years Greenways have become an important part of our recreational and social infrastructure for local residents. They are also an important part of the local tourism infrastructure in making areas attractive to visit. These facilities are very widely used on a daily basis and provide safe spaces for families and people to walk.
I also compliment Cavan and Monaghan County Councils, local Community Groups and landowners who carry out the essential preparatory work to bring these projects to fruition”, stated Brendan Smith TD.
I welcome the allocation of €375,864 for Cavan Sports Partnership and €326,667 for Monaghan Sports Partnership.
The allocation is part of a €12 million package that will be shared among the country’s 29 Local Sports Partnerships.
This funding represents a significant investment in an organisation that does such great work throughout Cavan and Monaghan.
This allocation will help to ensure that the tremendous work being done by the teams at Cavan and Monaghan Sports Partnerships continues throughout our local communities.
This investment will support the Sports Partnerships staff to establish and promote the delivery of sport and physical activity opportunities with continued strong programme funding, promotional budgets and community and development funds.
This latest allocation of funding will also help to maximise the impact of Sports Partnerships resources, while building partnerships and capacity through local community sport and physical activity investment.
The allocation of €11,945,000 to the Local Sports Partnerships network is part of an overall investment of over €30 million from government announced today by Fianna Fáil Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue, at the National Sports Campus.
Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan/Monaghan, has welcomed the approval of additional special classes for the coming year by Minister of State at the Department of Education, Michael Moynihan TD.
“I welcome the confirmation today by Minister Moynihan that the NCSE has sanctioned a number of new special classes for the coming school year 2025/2026.
“Additional special classes have been approved for:
Breifne College, Cavan Town
St Aidan’s Comprehensive School, Cootehill
Carrigabruise National School, Virginia
Coláiste Dún an Rí, Kingscourt
St Louis Primary School, Monaghan
St Mary’s Scoil Mhuire Primary School, Monaghan
St Louis Secondary School, Monaghan
“A new special school was sanctioned some time ago to open in County Monaghan for the school year 2025/26.
“I welcome these new classes and, of course, more provision needs to be made for children with additional needs.
I will continue to highlight the need for additional special education places for children in Cavan/Monaghan”
I welcome approval by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, for a major development at Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark with funding under the Shared Island Fund.
A trail network will be developed to link existing trails North and South of the border enhancing and further linking the local tourism offerings at Cuilcagh and the wider cross-border UNESCO Global Geopark.
This Trail development will provide connectivity between the Marble Arch Caves, Cuilcagh Boardwalk and on to Cavan Burren Park and include interpretation, wayfinding and infrastructure, including a community-based interpretative centre at Glangevlin Village.
I was very glad in 2021 to highlight and outline the potential of this cross-border geopark to grow tourism in this area and its suitability for funding under the Shared Island Fund both from a cross-border and All Ireland perspective and also as a regenerative tourism project. Subsequently I was glad to strongly support the application submitted by Cavan and Fermanagh Councils and the Geopark.
In the meantime, additional lands have been purchased by the State to expand the Geopark in Co Cavan and this also offers additional potential for tourism and biodiversity.
Also under construction at present is the major Discovery Centre/Interpretative Centre at the Shannon Pot Glangevlin with an investment in excess of €10 Million. This Centre will promote the history and culture and, notably, the importance of the River Shannon, our country’s longest river at 360 km, a river that is central to so much of our national tourism industry.
Visitor displays, walking trails through the forest and a major viewing point will all dovetail very well with the amenities developed already as part of Cavan Burren Park.
All these developments and major investment are building on the natural attractions of the area under the shadow of the Cuilcagh Mountain and will generate additional economic activity, business and much needed jobs.
These developments are extremely important for counties Cavan and Fermanagh and indeed for the Upper Shannon Region”.
Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed the approval by the Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary TD of funding for a number of projects throughout the constituency.
“This funding being provided under the Community Recognition Fund will assist in the development of a number of local recreational and sporting projects including- – –
Mullahoran GFC – drainage and resurfacing of walking track – €50,220
Ramor United GAA – creation of multi-purpose activity area -€111,749
Cootehill Town Team – redevelopment of the community hub in Cootehill- €120,607
Border Bounce Gymnastics Club Monaghan – refurbishment of derelict building to create a new community hub – €50,000
This funding will assist in the upgrading of local amenities and I compliment the clubs who submitted successful applications. Local groups are working diligently to ensure a diverse range of community facilities benefitting local residents and visitors to their areas. He also added that the closing date for the next phase of applications is this Friday 28th February” stated Brendan Smith TD.
I welcome the allocation by the Transport Minister of €19 Million to Cavan and €18 Million to Monaghan County Councils for improvement works this year on Regional and Local Roads.
This is an essential investment in maintaining and carrying out improvement works to this road network which is of critical importance throughout all of Cavan and Monaghan. A substantial roadworks programme will be carried out in each county with this funding and I will continue to highlight the need for additional investment in our regional and local roads.
The population in Cavan and Monaghan is widely dispersed and there is a huge dependence on the non-national road network for households, farms and businesses. The people living in rural communities deserve to have roads brought up to a proper standard and always maintained to such standards. In recent years the increased costs of road maintenance and road upgrading has necessitated an increased financial investment and this is a message that I will continue to strongly highlight to government.
Indeed I have indicated to the new Transport Minister, Darragh O’Brien, that a substantial financial increase is needed in our roads infrastructure, both non-national and national road network, in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan. This is essential to ensure that the border region can continue to see its economy grow and have additional employment created.
These payments will help parents by putting extra money in their pockets at a joyful but costly time for families. The Newborn Baby Grant is paid automatically with the first month of Child Benefit payment.
Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith said the difficulty restoring power to Cavan and Monaghan in the aftermath of Strom Eowyn highlights the dire need of proper maintenance of power lines.
Deputy Smith told the Dáil large numbers of constituents in Cavan and Monaghan remained without electricity supply two weeks after the storm, despite the hard work of frontline workers.
“Most of those people have difficulties with their telephone and broadband connectivity,” the Cavan-Monaghan deputy said. “Life is extremely difficult for people with health ailments and dependent on medical devices.
“The major cause of the power outage in our area has been trees falling on ESB transmission lines. It is clear that the corridors for ESB lines are not being maintained to the proper standard. If they were, we would not have such problems with trees falling and with other overgrown vegetation.”
Deputy Smith has repeatedly called for a vigorous inspection programme to be introduced to ensure Coillte and private landowners plantations are properly maintained.
“Very regrettably, this has not happened,” he said. “These issues need to be addressed now. If a small-scale livestock farmer slightly erred in their farming practices, they would have inspections and penalties imposed. Why is it not the same for large-scale forestry plantation owners?”
He also highlighted the need for forestry plantations to be spread throughout the country and not blanketed across certain counties.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told Deputy Smith, in response, that one of the most immediate tasks is to ensure there are proper corridors along transmission lines.
“West Roscommon and Leitrim have huge issues with forests falling, or whole lines of Sitka spruce falling like dominoes onto the line. That can no longer be tolerated,” the Taoiseach said.
“We have asked the Ministers responsible – there has to be collaboration between Departments – to ensure we nail this once and for all to have clear space in order to prevent this type of thing from recurring. Then we need to go further by ensuring road safety and addressing further danger to power lines. When power lines come down, it is a huge health and safety issue for people.”
Deputy Smith also thanked the front line workers, the ESB and local authority workers as well as volunteers who all helped people, especially those who are vulnerable and left without power, water and connectivity in their homes.
“There must be a protocol to ensure that when an emergency arises, the statutory agencies know who may be vulnerable and who needs to be contacted to ensure they are safe and well. That can be addressed at national level. We should not be leaving it until the next storm. We should be addressing those issues now,” he added.
