– Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Irish Water and Cavan County Council can confirm that the Do Not Consume Notice impacting customers supplied by Belturbet Public Water Supply has been lifted with immediate effect and the water is safe to drink. The notice was issued to protect approximately 1,986 customers following elevated levels of manganese in the water supply.

Kevin Smith, Regional Operations Lead with Irish Water said: “Irish Water acknowledges and understands the impact this Do Not Consume Notice had on the community of Belturbet and we sincerely regret the inconvenience. Our drinking water compliance and operational experts worked hard to resolve this issue as quickly and as safely as possible and we endeavoured to keep stakeholders updated at every stage of the process. We are grateful to the media, elected representatives and members of the public who shared the information. We would also like to thank Cavan County Council and HSE for their input and support throughout the process.”

All consumers on the Belturbet Public Water Supply can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth.

Irish Water and the Local Authority/Health Service Executive Water Liaison Group will continue to meet and will review ongoing process control, monitoring and testing of the drinking water supply.

If customers have any queries regarding this Do Not Consume Notice and the lifting of it they should contact Irish Water directly on our customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.Irish Water continues to work at this time with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.

ENDS 15/09/2021

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith had useful discussions with Co Cavan IFA Executive Officers in relation to CAP Funding and CAP Reform.

Issues concerning livestock exports to Northern Ireland and Britain and the current review of the Nitrates Action Programme were also discussed in detail. All issues of great importance to the farming community and Deputy Brendan Smith will convey concerns to Minister Charlie McConalogue.

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed the provision of government funding of €160,000 to carry out improvement works at Deerpark, Dun an Rí, Killykeen and Rossmore Forest Parks.

“These Coillte owned Forest Parks are a key provider of outdoor recreational facilities throughout the country.  There has been a very substantial increase in visitor numbers to these forests over the past 18 months and they are a very important recreational outlet for local communities and also visitors to those areas.  They also enhance considerably the local tourism product.

It is important to maintain and upgrade facilities and this funding will enable the upgrading of carpark at Deerpark (€10,000), upgrading of existing toilet block at Dun an Rí (€30,000), upgrading of visitor car park and existing toilet block at Killykeen (€70,000) and upgrading of toilet block at Rossmore (€50,000).  Typically these parks provide picnic areas and walking and cycling trails and are beneficial to all age groups”, stated Deputy Brendan Smith.

10/09/2021

Issued Friday, 10 September 2021 – Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) Irish Water, working in partnership with Cavan County Council, has issued a Do Not Consume Notice for all consumers on the Belturbet Public Water Supply Scheme due to elevated levels of manganese. The notice applies to approximately 1,986 customers supplied by the Belturbet Public Water Supply Scheme.

It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants.
Please note this is not a Boil Water Notice. Boiling the water will not reduce manganese levels and is therefore not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. This notice does not apply to other areas and water schemes in Cavan.

Tankered water will be in place at Centra Belturbet, Erne Hill and Open Area/Hard Stand, the Lawns, Belturbet to provide an alternative water supply to customers. Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and to boil water before consumption as a precautionary measure. Irish Water drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Cavan County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

Speaking about the imposition of the notice, Peter Gallagher, Regional Operations Lead with Irish Water said “Irish Water is aware of the impact a Do Not Consume Notice can have on the community of Belturbet and would like to reassure impacted customers that we are working hard to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. We would ask customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278.”

This water should not be used for
• Drinking• Drinks made with water• Food preparation, washing or cooking of food,• Brushing of teeth• Making of ice• Children under 12 months old should not drink this water• In particular, children under 12 months old should not drink this water. This water should not be used for making up infant formula for bottled fed infants. An alternative source of water should be used. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated.

• If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way• Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.• Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

What can you use water for?• The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils• Irish Water and Cavan County Council will continue to liaise with the Health Service Executive with a view to lifting this drinking water restriction as soon as practicable.Updates will be available on our Water Supply Updates section of our website http://www.water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Customers are advised to set their location on water.ie to see updates specific to their location.

10/09/2021

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith welcomes the allocation of government funding through the Clár Programme for a number of community projects in counties Cavan and Monaghan.

In Cavan the funding will assist 4 primary schools and 3 community groups to provide new facilities including playground areas and provision of safety measures. In Monaghan funding will assist 2 primary schools and 6 community groups.

“I compliment the successful applicants and also Cavan County Council and Monaghan County Council on their assistance in progressing these projects”, stated Deputy Brendan Smith.

30/08/2021

Media Release

Pop-up COVID-19 Test Centre opening in Virginia, as COVID-19 cases increase in Cavan.

24^th August, 2021: A free ‘walk-in and online self-referral’ COVID-19 testing site at Virginia Show Centre, Virginia, Co. Cavan, A82 A9X2 will open for 2 days on Friday, August 27^th and Saturday, August 28^th, as COVID-19 cases increase in Cavan.

Opening hours are:

Friday, August 27^th              10am – 6pm

Saturday, August 28^th         10am – 6pm

People have the option to book an appointment online for a free COVID-19 test on the HSE online self-referral portal: https://covid19test.healthservice.ie/hse-self-referral/, or attend the pop-up test centre at Virginia Show Centre without an appointment and wait for a COVID-19 test. The online booking facility for the pop-up COVID-19 test centre in Virginia helps to manage the numbers of people attending for a test at any time and minimises the length of time people may have to wait for their test.

The free ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 test centre is open to members of the public of any age. Members of the public will need to bring a photo ID and provide a mobile phone number in order to provide test results.

The Department of Public Health, HSE North East have seen the number of COVID-19 cases increase in Cavan in recent weeks and in particular in the Bailieborough-Cootehill and Ballyjamesduff Local Electoral Areas (LEAs).

The latest figures, covering the 14-day incidence during 03/08/2021 to 16/08/2021, reported the electoral areas in Bailieborough-Cootehill LEA with an incidence rate of 1433.5 cases per 100,000 of population and Ballyjamesduff with an incidence rate of 779 cases per 100,000 of population. This compares to a national incidence rate of 493.2/100,000 of population.

Dr Keith Ian Quintyne, Director of Public Health (Acting) with the Department of Public Health, HSE North East, said: “We are appealing to people in Cavan to continue to follow public health advice due to concerns over a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the County in recent weeks. Two of our LEAs – Bailieborough-Cootehill and Ballyjamesduff are amongst the top 15 LEAs (out of 166 LEAs) for 14-day incidence per 100,000 population. The incidence rate in the Bailieborough-Cootehill LEA is three times the national rate.”

“We are urging the people of Cavan to attend for a free COVID-19 test at the pop-up centre at Virginia Show Centre this Friday and Saturday. Availing of COVID-19 testing, even when you don’t have symptoms, helps us to stop further spread of COVID-19 and protects our communities.”

“We are starting to see cases rise, albeit from very low levels, in those aged 65 years and older. We all need to be careful in what we do, even if we are fully vaccinated. We need to adhere to the public health advice: keeping a physical distance of two metres, wearing a mask, frequently washing hands, and adhering to proper cough and sneeze etiquette.”

Dr Quintyne added: “COVID-19 vaccines along with the public health advice remain our pathway out of this pandemic – please avail of the opportunity to get protected from COVID-19 through vaccination. Walk-in vaccination clinics are operating in Cavan and Monaghan this week.”

Mandy Doyle, Acting Head of Service Primary Care, CHO Area 1 (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) said: “Pop-up centres have proven to be successful in detecting and containing cases of COVID-19.  I would therefore encourage anyone who is concerned that they may have contracted COVID-19 to avail of the free pop-up testing service at Virginia Show Centre in Virginia, Co. Cavan. It is vital that people come forward for testing to help identify those who are infected and infectious, but unaware that they might be spreading the virus. In protecting ourselves we protect each other.”

Acting Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Mr Eoin Doyle said “We have seen a worrying spike in cases in Cavan recently and it is important that we take all necessary steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the community, while the vaccination programme continues to progress. In that regard, adherence to public health guidelines remains a crucial element in our response to this pandemic. This pop-up testing centre in Virginia will help to identify asymptomatic cases in the community, and I would encourage people in Cavan to get a test and avail of this free service.”

Up to date information on the location and opening days and times of COVID-19 walk-in test centres is available at COVID-19 walk-in test centres: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/covid-19-walk-in-test-centres.html

ENDS

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has welcomed confirmation from his colleague, Ms Norma Foley, TD, Minister for Education that approval has now been given for the major building project at St. Clare’s National School, Cavan Town to go to construction.

“Some months ago at my request Minister Foley visited the school and met the Principal, Ms Alma Leonard and her staff and Members of the Board of Management. We highlighted to Minister Foley the need to provide additional permanent accommodation at the earliest possible date. 

I am very glad that this major project has reached this stage and to have worked along with the Principal, the Board of Management and Parents’ Association in supporting their application”, stated Deputy Brendan Smith.

Below are details of the building project –

I have repeatedly called for additional orthopaedic capacity to reduce waiting lists. Patients, in areas such as Cavan/Monaghan, in many instances have to wait far too long to have necessary assessments and follow up treatment carried out.

Further progress is needed in reducing waiting times.

Below reply to Parliamentary Questions I tabled to the Minister for Health –

______________________________________________
For Oral Answer on : 13/07/2021
Question Number(s): 123,128 Question Reference(s): 28577/21, 28578/21
Department: Health
Asked by: Brendan Smith T.D.
______________________________________________


QUESTION

* To ask the Minister for Health if additional orthopaedic capacity will be provided in 2021 to reduce waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Brendan Smith T.D.

For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 13 July, 2021.

* To ask the Minister for Health if additional orthopaedic capacity will be provided at an early date in view of increasing waiting lists for adult and paediatric orthopaedic surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Brendan Smith T.D.

For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 13 July, 2021.

REPLY

(See attached file: NTPF OP and IPDC Orthopaedic Initiatives.xlsx)(See attached file: Orthopaedics_IPDC and OPD Waiting Lists.xlsx)
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last sixteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack.

While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021, and the resultant curtailment of acute hospital services, is reflected in the most recently available waiting list figures to 13th May 2021.

On 23 March 2021 the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”, outlining a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met. However, the implementation of this plan has been suspended pending the resolution of the recent ransomware attack, which had a significant impact on acute hospitals.  

The HSE has been working since 14th May last to recover the effects of the cyber attack on its systems. The HSE advise that at present most systems are operational and services are returning to normal activity. There is a challenge in back entering data and there are still a number of areas of ongoing concern. The HSE was already seeking to recover from the Covid peak in the first quarter of this year and the ransomware attack has delayed this and had the effect of increasing access delays for services. My Department  does not have full access to information on the impact of this ransomware attack on elective waiting lists but will provide an update as soon as one is available.

Due to the ongoing IT issues triggered by the HSE cyber-attack, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has been unable to receive weekly national hospital waiting list data or downloads. The latest published waiting list information was collated by the NTPF on 13th May 2021

At the 13th of May 2021, nationwide there were 11,073 patients waiting for an adult or child orthopaedic IPDC procedure, a reduction of 19% (-2,569) compared to the same period last year. At the 13th May 2021 there were 75,799 waiting for a first outpatient appointment across all hospital groups, an increase of 6% (+4,379) compared to the same period last year.

Specifically in terms of hip and knee replacements, the NTPF have advised the Department that at the end of May 2020 there were 3,042 patients waiting for such a procedure. Through focused activity, and with the support of the NTPF, at the 13th May 2021 this figure had fallen by 26 % to 2,256 patients.

The NTPF have advised that they have provided funding for a number of Insourcing initiatives to reduce Orthopaedic waiting lists in 2021, which will see 15,385 patients receive appointments and procedures. Details of these initiatives are outlined in the attached document.

An additional €240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the NTPF. This is to be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of infection control measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as addressing backlogs in waiting lists.

My Department, the HSE and the NTPF are currently working on a Multiannual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years.

17/08/2021

Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan/Monaghan welcomes government funding under the Community Enhancement Programme for 40 local projects throughout County Cavan.

“I compliment the various voluntary organisations and Cavan County Council in submitting these successful applications.  This funding will provide some support to groups which are re-opening facilities which had to be closed due to the pandemic.

As we know local community facilities are a central part of urban and rural living and are essential to the sporting and recreational life of any parish” stated Brendan Smith TD.

LINK TO LIST OF PROJECTS ATTACHED.

https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/8af99-community-enhancement-programme-funding-2021/

5 August 2021

ENDS

AUGUST 5 2021

Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith welcomes the decision by his colleague, Norma Foley TD, to approve a major building project for Kill National School, Cootehill to go to tender.

“This project will consist of the provision of mainstream classroom accommodation with en-suite facilities and also special education teaching rooms and will enhance considerably the school’s facilities.

I compliment the Chairman and Board of Management, the Principal and staff colleagues and the Parents’ Association on their work in bringing this project to this stage.

I am glad to have been able to support this application for additional accommodation in view of the increase in enrolment at Kill National School over recent years. I wish all the school community well with this building project” stated Brendan Smith TD.

11/08/2021