Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan Monaghan Brendan Smith has received confirmation from Cuan of its commitment to develop a much-needed domestic refuge centre to accommodate victims of domestic abuse in the Cavan Monaghan area.

The CEO of Cuan, the Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency, Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Smith, said the Cavan/Monaghan region has been “identified as a priority area for refuge development”.

Dr O’Keeffe said Cuan has a dedicated team that has been engaging with the local service provider in the Cavan/Monaghan area and that provider will work with Safe Ireland, “who will now lead out on the development of refuge accommodation in the Cavan/Monaghan area”.

“Cuan is engaging with Safe Ireland in this regard and will provide the supports to progress this development in 2024,” she stated. “Cuan has also been engaging both Cavan and Monaghan County Councils to discuss potential refuge development. Cuan is working to progress refuge development in this area as a priority in 2024.”

Deputy Smith said: “I’m pleased to receive confirmation from Cuan that progress is being made on the development of a refuge centre for those suffering domestic, sexual and gender-based violence for the Cavan/Monaghan region and that it will be prioritised this year.    

“This facility is much-needed for the Cavan/Monaghan area. At present there is no dedicated centre for victims of domestic abuse in either county. They have been waiting too long for this centre.”

ENDS

I welcome the very significant announcement by Deputy Anne Rabbitte, Minister for Disabilities of substantial investment in the provision of new facilities and services for persons with disabilities in Cavan/Monaghan.

I had highlighted in meetings with Minister Rabbitte, with the HSE and in various and recent Dáil Debates and Parliamentary Questions the absolute need to improve these services across Cavan/Monaghan.

Below is an outline of the commitments made by Minister Rabbitte and the overall funding associated with these important projects.

• €4.6 million for the development of a new Day Service Centre to replace Clogher House in Rathcorrick, Cavan.

• €7.5 million to develop a new Day Service in Cootehill, Co. Cavan to replace Drumlin House.

• €3.1 million has been earmarked to develop a new children’s respite service in Monaghan, which will be a five bedroom facility catering specifically to children from Cavan and Monaghan. While this is being built, additional funding has been sanctioned for the provision of an interim respite service in Monaghan, which will open by October 1^st, 2024.

• A commitment was also given to working with the HSE and local providers to support the expansion of services delivered through Steadfast House and Errigal Truagh.

ENDS

APRIL 10 2024

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Brendan Smith, has welcomed funding worth almost €2.8 million for digital learning and minor building works at Cavan and Monaghan schools.

In total Minster for Education Foley announced €79 million in funding to support digital learning in schools and minor building works across the country. 

It includes €50 million in grant funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for all recognised primary and post-primary schools and a separate €29 million in minor works funding is being provided to primary and special schools.

Some €1,503,873 (comprising ICT grants of €903,873 and Minor Works grants of €600,000) has been allocated to Cavan schools, while Monaghan schools will receive €1,258,607 (€758,607 in ICT grants and €500,000 in Minor Works grants), bringing the total investment in schools in the two counties to almost €2.8 million. 

Deputy Smith said: “I am delighted to welcome this funding as it will support primary, post-primary and special schools to enhance school settings, teaching and learning to the benefit of both pupils and students.

“The ICT funding will be provided to schools to help them continue to use digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment, while the minor works funding can be used by these schools for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds.

“Digital technologies can open up a world of opportunities to our pupils and students, so it is very important that we continue to support schools to ensure they can embed the use of digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment.

“As well as the ICT funding, the €29 million in funding for minor works will be vital in allowing school communities to address issues at local level as they provide the necessary flexibility to address different issues.

“The minor works payments will go towards areas such as the maintenance of school buildings and towards new and upgraded school infrastructure.”

The Digital Strategy ICT grant will consist of a €2,000 basic grant for primary schools plus an additional payment of €39 per mainstream pupil, €43 per pupil in DEIS schools and €47 per pupil with special needs attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream primary school. For example, a 100 pupil-primary school will receive €5,973 and a 500 pupil- primary school will receive €21,865.

Post-primary schools will be paid a €2,000 basic grant plus €47 per mainstream student and €52 per student in DEIS schools. A 500 student- post-primary school would receive €25,840 and a 1,000 student-post-primary school would receive €49,680.

Deputy Smith concluded by welcoming confirmation from Minister Foley that the Department of Education’s Planning and Building Unit is currently finalising updated guidance for schools in relation to good practice arrangements for maintenance of school buildings.

-ENDS-

Note to editors: 

The previously issued press release stated the total amount for Cavan and Monaghan combined was over €2.25 million. The correct figure is almost €2.8 million. 

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has called for a new law making the despicable act of drink spiking a more serious offence to be prioritised.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD said the proposed legislation going through the Oireachtas, which would introduce greater penalties for this dangerous behaviour, is urgently needed after official figures show a rise in drink spiking in recent years.  

He also said he has been made aware of a number of cases anecdotally in his constituency in recent months.

Spiking is a crime under section 12 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, which provides offence of administering a substance capable of interfering with the victim’s bodily functions, and where spiking is committed with intent to commit a further offence (such as sexual assault or theft), that further offence, or an attempt to commit it, may also be charged.

Deputy Smith said: “Spiking is a sinister and dangerous act that can be devastating for vicitims. We need to make the laws strong to make it easier for victims to report and to raise greater awareness of this despicable behaviour. A new bill – the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Amendment Spiking Bill 2023- has passed the Seanad. Now the Dáil must approve it.

“There has been a sharp rise in the number of these incidents in recent years. Garda figures show that in 2022, there were 106 reported cases of drink spiking, a rise on the 2021 figures. And in my own constituency I’ve been made aware by parents of young girls of despicable spiking cases. Every effort must be made to ensure legislation surrounding spiking is strengthened.”

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD, in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Smith, said spiking is already a crime but they are examining whether it needs to be updated.

“A number of legislative proposals for a separate offence have been made on this issue, including most recently the introduction of a Private Members’ Bill in the Seanad in May 2023, which proposes a new offence covering the administration of a substance with intent to sedate or overpower for the purposes of engaging in a sexual act, make a gain or cause a loss, or commit any other offence. This PMB has passed the Seanad,” she said.

“Submissions have been received from the DPP and the Gardaí on the relevant issues and consideration is being given to whether legislative changes are needed.”

ENDS  28/03/2024

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed confirmation that places have been secured for all applicants into Tranche 2 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES).

Deputy Smith’s Fianna Fáil party colleague, Charlie McConalogue TD, confirmed that he secured funding places for all 9,000 applicants in this group.  

It is now one of the best funded agri-environment schemes and also one of the largest, with 55,000 farmers now facilitated to participate. 

Deputy Smith said: “I’m delighted to receive confirmation from Minister McConalogue that all of the applicants in this phase of Acres have been accepted. This is a hugely important scheme allowing farmers to take environmental actions.    

“The demand for the scheme demonstrates farmers absolute commitment to implementing measures to target climate change.”

ACRES is the Government’s flagship agri-environmental scheme, with an allocation of €1.5 billion over the period to 2027 aimed at facilitating the participation of 50,000 farmers in significant and targeted environmental action over a five-year period.

Last year, in response to the exceptional demand for places, Minister McConalogue admitted more than 46,000 farmers under Tranche 1 of the scheme. When the second tranche of the scheme closed for applications in December 2023 a further 9,000 applications had been received.

ENDS 

07/03/2024

Following the issuance of interim payments to remaining Tranche 1 applicants of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) last week, a total of 2,249 farmers in Cavan and Monaghan have received €10,317,486 million in payments.

Local Fianna Fáil TD, Brendan Smith, said: “ACRES, which is a €1.5bn scheme, has attracted enormous interest from farmers across both Cavan and Monaghan. My party colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, has worked to ensure that all farmers that wanted to participate were facilitated but the increased numbers combined with the complexity of the scheme unfortunately led to the processing of advance payments taking longer than envisaged.

“I know and appreciate just how important these payments are to farmers and I am glad that the Minister introduced an interim payment to those that didn’t get their advance last December. These interim payments were made last week.

“The amounts paid in the interim payments are €4,000 to those in the ACRES General approach and €5,000 to participants in the ACRES Co-operation Project approach.  Combined with the advance payments made before Christmas, over 2,000 farmers in total from Cavan and Monaghan have now received over €10 million in payments.”

Deputy Smith concluded: “I know that intensive work is continuing on the calculation of the full payments due to farmers under ACRES. When this work is completed, the ACRES payments, which will issue to farmers in June, will take into account the interim payments already made to the relevant participants. A letter is being issued this week to all those ACRES participants who are getting the interim payment to explain how the process will work.”

-ENDS-

6/03/2024

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith welcomes the inclusion of Killeshandra and Ballybay in a further roll-out of Town Centre First Plans. 

“Town Centre First Plans provide for a diverse range of projects including the redevelopment of derelict sites, the creation of community facilities with the aim of boosting small businesses and improving the tourist potential of these areas. 

Bailieborough and Carrickmacross were included in the First Scheme and substantial work has been undertaken in developing regeneration plans for both towns. 

This Town Centre First Scheme with government funding through the Department of Rural and Community Development along with the very substantial Urban Regeneration and Development Fund through the Department of Housing, which is funding major redevelopment projects proposed for Cavan Town and Monaghan Town, will impact very positively on the chosen towns. The Croí Cónaithe Fund and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant are providing important and much needed investment in dealing with dereliction in urban and rural settings.  The scourge of dereliction needs to be tackled as urgently as possible. It is extremely important to use existing vacant and derelict buildings for housing, business and community use and local authorities such as Cavan and Monaghan along with local communities are playing a key role in ensuring that maximum benefit is derived from these important government funded initiatives”, stated Brendan Smith TD.

28/02/2024

Smith calls for comprehensive search in Portugal for missing Cavan woman Jean Tighe

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has called again for a comprehensive” search for missing Cavan woman Jean Tighe to be conducted in Portugal.

Ms Tighe disappeared, aged 38, from Parede, a Portuguese holiday resort, on July 13, 2020.  Despite repeated efforts from Irish authorities it took three years before her name was added to a missing persons database in Portugal.

Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy Smith, who is friends with Jean’s family, said the family had sought every possible assistance daily to locate their beloved daughter and sibling since she went missing.

“I have made numerous representations to the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice to stress the absolute necessity of ensuring proper and adequate searches are undertaken to locate Jean,” Deputy Smith said.

“It took an inordinate and totally unacceptable time for the Portuguese police authorities to put Jean’s name on the missing persons database. It was clear from early on that modern investigative and search tools were not used in the search. I have called repeatedly for an investigation into Jean’s disappearance that is absolutely comprehensive and thorough.

“I was extremely disappointed and indeed furious to learn that the Portuguese authorities have been awaiting responses from An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice for some time. The least our authorities can do is to act with urgency. We have a young woman who is missing and a very distraught family, friends and community. This State, by its actions, must show that it cares.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in response, said he was familiar with the case. “I really feel for the family concerned,” Mr Varadkar said. “I know that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs is aware of this case and has taken action on it. I know our embassy and our staff on the ground in Lisbon are doing all they can.

He added that he will pass on any request from Deputy Smith when he meets the Prime Minister of Portugal in March.  

ENDS 23/02/2024

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed this year’s allocation of over €23.4 million for National Roads and Greenways in Cavan and Monaghan.

An allocation of €16,782,833 has been approved for Cavan while €6,649,029 has been allocated for Monaghan, bringing the total for the two counties to €23,431,862.

The funding was announced today (February 22, 2024) as part of a total of over €500 million allocated to National Roads and Greenways nationwide. The allocations will be made to local authorities across the country through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Deputy Smith said: “The substantial new funding allocated is hugely important for National Roads and Greenways in Cavan and Monaghan. It is part of the government’s investment in improving our national roads and greenways infrastructure. It will help ensure that our roads are safe, reliable and accessible for everyone who uses them.

“A top priority of Fianna Fáil in Government is continuing to invest in the maintenance and improvement of our road network to make it as safe as possible while improving regional connectivity and supporting regional economic development.

“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.”

-ENDS-

Local Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed further detail from his party colleague and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, on the interim payment to participants in Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) who have not yet received their advance payments for participation in the Scheme.

Deputy Brendan Smith said, “I was delighted to receive confirmation from Minister McConalogue that the rate of this interim payment will be €4,000 for those in ACRES general and €5,000 for those in ACRES Co-operation Project.

“I very much appreciate the importance of this payment to farmers, and Fianna Fáil in Government is fully committed to rewarding farmers for their environmental ambition. I understand that it is the intention of Minister McConalogue to have this interim payment delivered to those farmers affected across ACRES General and Co-operation by the end of this month.

“The ACRES payments will take into account the interim payments already made to the relevant participants and will issue in June for ACRES Tranche 1 participants. In the intervening period, the Department of Agriculture will continue with the payment process as a key priority.” 

-ENDS-

15/02/2024