Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has confirmed farmers will begin to receive payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme from September 18.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD also received confirmation that the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS) payments will start on October 16.

Deputy Smith was informed of the dates by his party colleague, Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue TD, in response to a parliamentary question on the matter.

“I’m delighted that farmers will begin to receive ANC payments from mid-September and BISS payments in October. These two schemes are hugely important for farmers, providing direct financial aid to ensure their continued sustainability and viability,” Deputy Smith said.  

Minister McConalogue said he was fully aware of the importance of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) schemes as for many farmers these form a significant proportion of their annual payments.

The planned 2024 payment dates for the ANC scheme and the BISS scheme, are as follows:

•     September 18th, 2024 – ANC Advance payments commence.

•     October 16th, 2024 – BISS Advance payments commence.

•     December 2nd, 2024 – Balancing payments commence.

Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) provides a direct income support to Irish farmers through CAP.

The Areas of Natural Constraints scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated areas face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems and poor soil conditions.

Asked about the planned payment dates for the Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (Acres) Minister McConalogue said for 2024 advance payments are scheduled to commence in November.

For 2023, the first payments made were in December when €88.35 million was issued in advance payments to almost 20,000 Acres general participants.

Interim payments were issued to allow other participants in Feb and March this year.

Scheme year 2024 advance payments are scheduled to commence in November 2024.

Minister McConalogue said: “My Department commenced balancing payments on the 19th of June. A total of 31,808 participants have been paid to date, with total payments made to ACRES participants since last December now amounting to just under €234 million. Further balancing payments will continue to be made on a fortnightly basis as cases are cleared.”

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has described the investigation into missing Cavan woman Jean Tighe as totally inadequate.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD, who is friends of the Tighe family, told the Dáil the family are distraught by her disappearance.

His remarks coincide with the four-year anniversary of Ms Tighe’s disappearance. Ms Tighe was last seen in Parede, a Portuguese holiday resort, on July 13, 2020. She was 38 years old when she went missing.

Despite repeated efforts from Irish authorities it took three years before her name was added to a missing persons database in Portugal.

“Very understandably, Jean’s loving family are distraught and have been at their wits’ end over her disappearance. Those concerns are shared by their many friends in the community in Cavan and neighbouring areas,” Deputy Smith said.

“To put it mildly, the investigation into Jean’s disappearance has been totally inadequate. It is simply just not good enough.”

Deputy Smith has raised the issue repeatedly with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach. As Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar raised the case directly with his Portuguese counterpart.

“The Tighe family has got no response whatsoever as to why the Portuguese police authorities did not use modern investigative and search tools to trace Jean,” he said.

“The family is very patiently awaiting results but sadly they have had no substantive updates from any authorities.  The Government and our authorities must be robust and demanding in their ongoing contact with the Portuguese authorities to get an update on what has been done and what has not.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris in response told Deputy Smith he understood that Portuguese police have been investigating Jean’s disappearance but that sadly no strong leads have materialised as of yet.

“A member of An Garda Síochána in Portugal, the Irish Embassy in Lisbon and the ambassador have engaged with Portuguese police a number of times,” the Taoiseach said.

“The Tighe family has also been working with a family liaison officer.  In August of last year, An Garda Síochána and the Portuguese police met via video conference and Ms Tighe’s photo and profile was added to the Portuguese police’s missing persons website.

“My predecessor raised the matter with the then Prime Minister of Portugal. I will now directly seek an update myself.  I say to the Tighe family that I am very happy to raise the matter with my counterpart in Portugal and to come back to Deputy Smith directly.”

ENDS 

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has said families urgently need in-person services at the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) in Cavan town resumed.  

The Cavan-Monaghan TD told the Dáil the halting of services due to staff shortages had caused significant issues for service users, their families and staff in the IWA.

“The lack of in-person services is a very serious loss to those people who depend on such vital support week in, week out,” Deputy Smith told the Dáil.

“To the credit of the local IWA staff, they have put in place outreach and online services pending a return to in-centre services.

“I appeal again as strongly as I can on behalf of service users and their families that the HSE should respond positively to the business case put to it by the IWA for some additional small-scale resources which are critical to facilitate a return to the level of services needed in the Cavan centre and have the centre re-open at full capacity to meet the needs of service users.

Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte TD, in response, said a meeting is being organised between the Department of Health, the IWA and HSE with the aim of bringing about an “immediate resolution” to the issue and a return of in-person services at the day centre.

ENDS   

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed €1.69 million in additional funding for regional and local roads in Cavan and Monaghan damaged by persistent rainfall over the winter and spring months. 

Cavan County Council will receive €916,500, while Monaghan County Council has been allocated €773,500. 

Deputy Smith’s party colleague Minister of State Jack Chambers TD today announced €30 million in emergency funds to deal specifically with the impact of climate change, which has contributed to a deterioration in the surface quality of certain parts of the roads network.

“I’m delighted to receive confirmation from my party colleague Minister Jack Chambers that €1.69 million has been allocated for regional and local roads in Cavan and Monaghan. 

“We need to keep our roads safe. This emergency investment will give Cavan and Monaghan county councils the funds necessary to repair potholes and other damage on our roads caused by the extremely heavy rainfall over the winter and spring months.

“In persistent wet conditions, water seepage contributes to damage such as the development of potholes or pavement collapse. 

“This investment will significantly improve the worst impacted areas of the road network.”

He added: “Fianna Fáil in Government is committed to supporting local authorities in the maintenance and renewal of the regional and local road network.”

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed the announcement by his party colleague and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly that 74 new acute hospital beds will be put in place in Cavan Monaghan Hospital.

Today, Minister Donnelly announced a plan to deliver 3,352 new beds (2,997 net new hospital beds + 355 replacement beds, in addition to the 1,015 hospital beds under construction and/or committed to, bringing the total number of new beds to be delivered by 2031 to 4,367. 

Since 2020, the Government has already delivered 1,218 net additional acute hospital beds.

Deputy Smith said: “I warmly welcome confirmation from Minister Donnelly that there will be 74 new acute hospital beds for Cavan Monaghan Hospital. In total in the HSE Dublin North East area a total of 623 new beds are planned between now and 2031. These new beds are much needed in the two counties and I know they will be of enormous comfort to families in the region.

“Delivering healthcare for everyone is a cornerstone of Fianna Fail’s approach in government.

“We are improving access to health services, with reductions in waiting times and waiting lists, lower costs for treatment, more entitlement to free GP services than ever before, and Ireland’s first ever Women’s Health Strategy.

“We’ve cut the amount of money families need to spend on healthcare, abolished hospital charges, introduced free contraception, reduced monthly medicines bills and rolled out free IVF.

“Today’s announcement is further evidence that Fianna Fáil is committed to tackling the issues we are facing in our healthcare system head-on.”

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has received confirmation that plans for a major building project at Cavan Institute are being progressed under the FET College of the Future projects.

Speaking in the Dáil Deputy Smith described Cavan Institute as a very successful institution since it was established.

“I am very anxious that this proposed building project should proceed as soon as possible and that additional permanent accommodation is provided, adjoining the existing institute,” he said. “There is ample space on site to build additional classrooms and ancillary accommodation.”

Minister Patrick O’Donovan in response to a parliamentary question said the Cavan Institute is being progressed under the FET College of the Future project.

“Cavan Monaghan ETB is now further refining its proposal to bring a clear focus to meet the infrastructure requirements,” he said.

“Once the business case has been refined and updated, it will be evaluated by SOLAS. I know I stated in my initial reply that a number of these projects are progressing, but they will not progress together based on which one is the slowest. Whichever ones can move at the quickest pace will be the ones that will be advanced. We will not be holding them back.

“I have heard quite a lot about the Cavan campus and it is my intention to visit it as soon as possible and to meet the local ETB in this context.”

€74.5m exchequer funding combined with local authority contribution ensures over €93m available to deliver 13,000 grants

12% increase in national funding for 2024

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed over €3.21 million in funding for Housing Adaptation Grants in Cavan and Monaghan. Over €1.7 million has been announced for Cavan, while over €1.499 has been allocated for Monaghan.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and Disabled People assist with the necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works in order to make the accommodation more suitable to the needs of older and disabled people supporting them to live in their homes.

In total €93 million worth of funding has been announced, which will deliver 13,000 grants nationwide.

80% of the grant comes from Exchequer funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The remaining 20% in funding comes from the relevant local authority which administers the scheme.

The Fianna Fáil TD said: “I am delighted that my party colleague and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien, has allocated increased funding this year to ensure delivery of these much needed grants which will allow Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council to continue to support older and disabled people to live independently and in their own homes.

“Fianna Fáil in Government wants to empower and enable people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible – these grants help us to do just that.  They also provide a boost to our local economy, creating employment opportunities for local contractors.”

Deputy Smith concluded by saying that grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist disabled people carry out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes and grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids.

-ENDS-  

30/05/2024

“I welcome the very substantial government funding for the significant projects at St Michael’s Hall, Cootehill, Kingscourt Town Centre, Clones Regeneration and Castleblayney Market Square. 

These projects will enhance very considerably the facilities and amenities in these towns and is part of the government’s overall policy of rural development and regeneration.

I also compliment Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council on their leadership in preparing these successful applications.  I am sure that the government investment will benefit local communities and also visitors to these areas.

Eliminating dereliction and providing good amenities and facilities in town centres is a good and progressive policy and will many benefits to those areas” stated Brendan Smith TD.

ENDS.

MAY 13 2024

Local Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed the allocation of €645,211 in grant funding to support sports clubs across Cavan and Monaghan.

A total of €303,463 has been awarded to Cavan clubs, while €341,748 has been allocated for Monaghan clubs. 

The funding was announced today by Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne TD, as part of a record total overall allocation of €26 million in equipment grants nationwide under the latest round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (‘SCEP’).

Deputy Smith said: “It is fantastic to see the time and effort put in every week by club members and volunteers in Cavan and Monaghan be rewarded with this grant funding.

“The grants will go towards funding critical equipment and upgrades for clubs, such as pitch redevelopments and the purchase of gym equipment.

“I want to thank the volunteers and club members in our county for the invaluable work they do at the very heart of our communities.

“The grants announced today reflect the priority Fianna Fáil in Government places on encouraging and facilitating sporting participation and excellence across the country.”

-ENDS-  

ENDS 9/05/2024

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has called for in-person day services to be reinstated at the Irish Wheelchair Association in Cavan

The Cavan-Monaghan TD said additional funding is needed from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for the organisation to enable it to operate more efficiently.

Deputy Smith said: “There is a very urgent need to have in-person day services restored at the Irish Wheelchair Association’s, IWA, centre in Cavan town. Recently and, unfortunately, the day services ceased due to staffing shortages. This has caused understandable annoyance and concern to service users, their families, and the IWA personnel at local level. These services are of critical importance to users. The service has been reduced to an outreach-only model with Zoom meetings, online activities and visits to homes. Lack of pay parity for section 38 and 39 organisations is an issue.

“On becoming aware of the imminent cancellation of day services, I made a strong request to the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities and the HSE to give additional support to the IWA to deal with the current difficulties. I know from the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, that in the meantime, there has been engagement between the HSE and the IWA. The bottom line is that we need in-person services restored as quickly as possible with appropriate State support.

Minister Roderic O’Gorman, in response to a parliamentary question, said the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) submitted a funding application to the HSE on Saturday 13th of April.

“The validation process is at an advanced stage and the HSE will begin issuing funds to IWA this week. These funds are in addition to the Interim payment already issued to IWA earlier this year, as part of this process,” he said.

“I have also been informed that the IWA has recently undertaken a recruitment campaign to fill its vacant positions, in Cavan especially.

“In addition to this, under the leadership of Minister Anne Rabbitte, an Interdepartmental Workforce Steering Group has been established focused on identifying solutions and directing efforts to address workforce supply needs in all sectors of Disability Services.”  

 ENDS 

3/05/2024