Brendan Smith
Cavan-Monaghan · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I welcome the Taoiseach's engagement over recent months with his counterparts in relation to Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. I am glad that he discussed with the Spanish Prime Minister the multi-annual financial framework.”
“There are many challenges for our farming sector, for our food sector and also for our rural communities, and there will be huge challenges ahead as well. Under no circumstances can Ireland tolerate or countenance a reduction in CAP funding.”
“I renew my appeal in relation to the urgent need to increase the income eligibility limits for social housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan. The social housing income baseline is €30,000 in both counties. This is totally inadequate in view of the costs today for people buying or building a home.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. I must say that members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, across all jurisdictions, were very strong in their praise of the Minister’s contribution at our plenary meeting in Surrey, where he spoke about the opportunities for all-Ireland developments and also east-west developments.”
“As the Minister is aware, we are very anxious to progress the Cavan college of the future. I sincerely hope there will be further developments on that over the summer months.”
“The Minister will have heard me many times in this House, at committees and at meetings of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party advocating for closer collaboration on the delivery of education on an all-Ireland basis. There is fantastic potential, especially in the further and higher education sector.”
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“There are many challenges for our farming sector, for our food sector and also for our rural communities, and there will be huge challenges ahead as well. Under no circumstances can Ireland tolerate or countenance a reduction in CAP funding. It is very important that the Taoiseach enrol the support of all like-minded Heads of Government in relation to the need to ensure that we have a properly and adequately funded CAP post 2027 which is critical for our country.”
“I welcome the Taoiseach's engagement over recent months with his counterparts in relation to Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. I am glad that he discussed with the Spanish Prime Minister the multi-annual financial framework. Within that multi-annual financial framework, the proposal by the European Commission in respect of CAP is totally inadequate. We have to have a properly funded CAP. In my experience, the Spaniards were always good supporters of the Common Agricultural Policy and having it properly funded. The Common Agricultural Policy was the first common policy of the European Union. By and large it has been very successful. Its aim has been to ensure a secure supply of safe food for the citizens of Europe.”
“The present system is denying good, hard-working people and their families the opportunity to own their own homes. Those people must not be condemned to a lifetime of renting housing accommodation.”
“I renew my appeal in relation to the urgent need to increase the income eligibility limits for social housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan. The social housing income baseline is €30,000 in both counties. This is totally inadequate in view of the costs today for people buying or building a home. Daily I am dealing with constituents who are working hard in relatively low-paid jobs and they are above the present income limits. At the same time, those people have no hope whatsoever of getting a mortgage as their income is too low to service a home loan. The Minister, Deputy Browne, confirmed to me recently in replies to parliamentary questions that his Department is carrying out an analysis of present household income conditions. These conditions need to be amended without further delay.”
“The accommodation is needed, and the Minister can be assured that the people, the director of the college and his staff will ensure that the students who attend will get the very best options across all courses, and the best in learning and teaching as well.”
“As the Minister is aware, we are very anxious to progress the Cavan college of the future. I sincerely hope there will be further developments on that over the summer months. We are anxious to have that major new extension to the existing college constructed on Cathedral Road, right in the centre of Cavan town, where there is a demand for new accommodation. The Minister saw first-hand the work that goes on at the institute. It draws students from a wide area. It has a huge success rate for students fulfilling career choices, following the careers chosen before they went into college and going on to attain further higher education qualifications. It is very important that we move that project along as quickly as possible.”
“They already have a partnership with colleges whereby people can commence a course in a college of further education and then complete their degree course in either Dundalk or Queen’s. They are anxious to intensify that collaboration between the higher education institutes and the further education colleges across Cavan and Monaghan, and in our neighbouring counties north of the Border.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. I must say that members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, across all jurisdictions, were very strong in their praise of the Minister’s contribution at our plenary meeting in Surrey, where he spoke about the opportunities for all-Ireland developments and also east-west developments. At a recent meeting of the further and higher education committee, we had the leadership of Queen’s University and the leadership of DkIT. They are very anxious to drive this partnership forward in a positive manner. They very much appreciate the leadership the Minister has shown. One of the great messages that came out of that meeting was the willingness of both Queen’s and Dundalk to work with the other education colleges.”
“The Minister will have heard me many times in this House, at committees and at meetings of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party advocating for closer collaboration on the delivery of education on an all-Ireland basis. There is fantastic potential, especially in the further and higher education sector. I warmly welcome the Minister’s initiative, along with Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT, and Queen’s University, to develop a new partnership that will enable DKIT to become a university college of Queen’s. That is a great all-Ireland development. It is a landmark decision and is of particular value for the entire north-east region and much farther afield.”
“Parents with children attending such a service in County Monaghan speak in glowing terms of the importance and value of the supports provided in that centre for the progressive development of their children. These supports are vital over the summer months and at other times for the overall development of children with autism and complex needs. That includes their education, communication and daily living skills.”
“I raise again the urgent need for improved services for children with additional needs in Cavan and Monaghan. Specifically, I wish to refer today to the need to provide after-school services, including summer camps and Saturday clubs, in County Cavan for children with additional needs. Enable Ireland is the children’s disability network team, CDNT, in County Cavan. Due to staff shortages, it has been under extreme pressure to deliver the services it wants to provide for children with disabilities. I understand from parents that there is a proposal from Cavan CDNT with the HSE or the Department to establish after-school services in County Cavan. Parents also believe that there is the relevant expertise and capacity locally to provide these essential services. This proposal must be progressed and approved without further delay.”
“I instance again the murder of two young teenagers in my own home area when Geraldine O’Reilly and Patrick Stanley were killed in the bombing in Belturbet on 28 December 1972, and the dreadful loss of life in Monaghan and Dublin on 17 May 1974, when 34 innocent people, including an unborn child, were killed and 300 were seriously injured. Decade after decade has passed and families continue to grieve but there has been little if any progress on investigations into these murders. These must be addressed.”
“I welcome the establishment of annual UK-Ireland summits. These have the potential to strengthen further bilateral relationships and intensify collaboration in areas such as trade, business, technology, investment, energy and environment. Alongside these annual summits, the Government must also ensure that the potential of the institutions established under the Good Friday Agreement across our jurisdictions are maximised to the best possible extent. As well as that important work, legacy issues must get priority attention in all Irish-British discussions. I refer again to the heinous crimes and loss of life inflicted on communities in my constituency, crimes for which nobody has been brought to justice.”
“The Rathcorick day centre is the location for County Cavan’s day activation unit. This unit provides adult day services for persons with complex needs. Unfortunately, this centre is totally outdated and needs to be replaced as quickly as possible. The adults attending a day activation unit deserve to have modern state-of-the-art facilities. It is not acceptable that these services are provided in totally inadequate accommodation at present. Day services provide a vital support for adults with disabilities to enable them to participate in day-to-day activities and to realise their own potential. A considerable time ago, approval was given for the provision of a new activation unit in the in the general Cavan town area and it is essential that this new accommodation be provided at an early date.”
“It is the lack of maintenance that has allowed trees and forestry to cause so much damage. What has happened previously cannot be allowed continue. I implore the Minister again to emphasise to the stakeholders, namely, other Departments and the statutory agencies, that this legislation has to be prioritised. I take this opportunity to pay tribute, as I did in 2025, to members of the emergency services who worked in very difficult circumstances to try to help families and communities, especially in ESB Networks.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. I cannot emphasise enough the priority that needs to be attached to this. We know the horrendous hardship and suffering that were inflicted on so many individuals, families and communities. Unfortunately, that also happened prior to Storm Éowyn. We are going to have more severe weather events, according to all predictions. Whatever needs to be done, the relevant measures have to be put in place rapidly. Under no circumstances can we have this idea that people can plant land up to other people's houses and all of that. There has to be strict regulation. Also, where the Department of agriculture is paying out premiums for forestry, it should have an inspection regime to ensure forests are properly maintained.”
“I know the Minister is prioritising it but legislation at official level moves far too slowly. This has to be given priority, as he said. There is no reason this type of legislation should not be enacted quickly and effectively. The last thing we want is to have forestry continuing to damage our critical infrastructure, including telecoms and ESB lines.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. It should not be rocket science to bring forward these new legislative measures. The initial legislation in this area in this State is the Electricity (Supply) Act 1927, which was amended in 1999 to address the relationship between forestry and transmission lines. For years, I have raised in this House the difficulties facing communities, especially those in my county of Cavan, and also across Leitrim and into Sligo. Year after year, during lesser storms than Storm Éowyn, trees were falling and bringing down power lines. I could be certain every January and February that I would have numerous calls from constituents who were without power due to forestry falling on power lines. This issue should have been addressed before Storm Éowyn.”
“It is now a year and five months since Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc on this country and caused so much damage. We were promised at that time that the Government would take effective measures to implement the learnings from this storm. I welcome the Minister's major commitment to upgrade energy infrastructure and to very substantial funding. There is also a need to implement new legislative measures, with particular regard to the relationship between forestry and power lines. I would like to know what the status of that legislation is because we do not want to be in a position where another storm happens and many areas of country are without electricity again.”
“My question refers to Curravagh National School at Glangevlin in County Cavan. It is a small school and it has a 25-year-old prefab that needs to be replaced. It is 25 sq. m but the Department has offered a 19 sq. m replacement permanent building. On the advice of the Department the school partitioned that prefab some years ago so that it would have some accommodation for shared special education teacher, English language teacher, secretary and principal space. The school is requesting that the additional accommodation to be provided would equal the size of its existing prefab. It is a very basic ask. I ask the Minister to ask her officials to revisit the approval that has been issued by her Department.”
“Parents on limited incomes are paying for private provision, another source of pressure on them. Staff shortages in therapists across Cavan and Monaghan need to be prioritised by the HSE for urgent attention. Those families cannot continue to wait and wait.”
“The assessment of need system has not been working. That system has not served children with additional needs or their families. I sincerely hope that the new autism assessment system works. Much faster access to assessment is essential, and follow-up therapies if needed. Time and again I have highlighted in this Chamber, through parliamentary questions and written representations, the unacceptable delays in children with additional needs in Cavan and Monaghan accessing therapies. Parents waiting for therapies for their children are justifiably angry and frustrated at the lack of timely supports and interventions. Enable Ireland provides the children's disability network team in County Cavan. Historically, there have been staff shortages there, impacting severely on children who need supports.”
“We should undertake comprehensive studies to identify the challenges but also the opportunities to ensure our central Border region is not disadvantaged.”
“I saw the challenges with the currency fluctuations and the movement of trade that devastated our local economy over many years. We should be prepared for turbulence in the economy that may arise but that nobody can readily predict. The current geopolitical uncertainty clearly shows the economic challenges that can arise from such turbulence. As the Taoiseach will know, I see at first hand the value and importance of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as a representative of southern Ulster counties. Thankfully, we have one economy now - the all-Ireland economy. However, the central Border region of Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh is vulnerable because it is highly dependent on a small number of particular sectors, such as food, farming, construction products and tourism.”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. The progressive shared island initiative is bringing to fruition many cross-Border and all-Ireland projects that many of us thought would never be realised. The National Economic and Social Council, the ESRI and some universities have been enabled to carry out very substantial comprehensive studies through shared island funding. Through the office of An Taoiseach and in various parliamentary questions, I have asked if the National Economic and Social Council will undertake a study of the challenges facing the central Border region, North and South, and also identify the opportunities for further economic development. I have been a representative in the southern Ulster counties for some time.”
“It is essential that at every meeting with members of the British Government the Irish side highlights in no uncertain terms that the Oireachtas needs a positive response to our unanimous request, made on four occasions, that an independent, eminent, international legal person be given access to all files and papers pertaining to the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and ensure full co-operation and a comprehensive investigation.”
“The publication last September of the joint framework between the British and Irish Governments relating to legacy issues arising from the Troubles was a welcome development. The legislation enacted by the previous British Government whereby murderers, be they from state forces or paramilitary organisations, could give themselves immunity was reprehensible. Will An Taoiseach update us on the progress in advancing the measures provided for in that framework? Last Sunday marked the 52nd anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings where 34 innocent people were killed and more than 300 injured.”
“I ask the Taoiseach to use his good offices to request that Department give urgent consideration to issuing approval in respect of the school's applications for the establishment of a special class and for the emergency works. The Taoiseach may recall in 2011 or 2012, he along, Michael Moynihan, myself and others campaigned very strongly against the proposal by the then Minister for education to change the pupil-teacher ratio, which would have-----”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I previously mentioned to the Taoiseach the case of Cavan No. 1 National School in Cavan town, which is under the patronage of the Church of Ireland and which has done exceptional work in providing a top-quality education for children from different denominations and of different nationalities. Inclusion is at the very heart of all activities in the school, and the work of the principal, Sabrina Richardson, her staff colleagues and the board of management is to be strongly commended. The principal has outlined in great detail to the NCSE and the Department of education the urgent need the school has for a special class. This school has also been waiting far too long for approval from the Department for basic improvement works which are urgently needed.”
“I fully understand the strong and legitimate wish of parents to have their children attend the same primary school. There must be an alternative way to improve access to local schools. If additional resources are needed, they should be provided. In rolling out the much-needed additional investment in special education, the Department must ensure that those welcome decisions and measures do not cause problems in the long term for our smaller schools, in some instances threatening their very viability. We cannot emphasise strongly enough the need to have siblings attend the same school.”
“A new model of system for the establishment of special classes is needed now. It is necessary to properly support smaller schools and schools under the patronage of the Protestant and smaller churches. Those smaller schools want to cater for all their pupils in the best possible way. The legitimate interests of those schools must be addressed. Children need to be facilitated with appropriate school placements as near to their homes as possible and, if at all possible, with their siblings. Regrettably, the current model has detrimental effects on our smaller schools. I am aware of instances where families who have a child in a special class in a larger school have transferred a sibling or siblings to that larger school. Pupils leaving their own catchment areas can impact on the viability of small schools in the longer term.”
“The Taoiseach may recall that I have previously raised with him and with other members of the Government the existing inequity and the disadvantages suffered by smaller schools due to the difficulty they have in reaching the required enrolment threshold for special classes. As I pointed out previously, this inequity impacts severely on schools that are under the patronage of the smaller churches. Such schools generally have small enrolments. This enrolment threshold also impacts severely on other smaller schools which, in most instances, are located in what are rural and, sometimes, remote areas. We are all aware of children having to travel too far to access special classes. That is far from ideal for pupils or parents. I again appeal for the enrolment threshold to be amended.”
“I have previously welcomed the substantial and much-needed increase in investment in special education. The establishment of additional special classes and autism spectrum disorder units and the provision of additional staffing resources are positive developments in the context of overall education provision in our country. More investment is needed to establish more special classes. I commend the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The chief executive of the NCSE, John Kearney, and his colleagues are very determined to make more progress in this area.”
“For many of those hard-working people there are real cash-flow problems at present and the Department has to act with the utmost urgency to ensure these essential payments issue to eligible applicants as quickly as possible.”
“On the last sitting day here before Easter, I raised the very serious difficulties confronting farmers and agri-contractors due to the enormous increase in the price of green diesel at that time. I also referred to the increase in farm input costs, such as fertiliser. Combined with those additional costs has been the reduction for some time in the prices paid to farmers for farm products, namely commodity prices. Following the Government announcement of a scheme to help offset some of those costs. It is essential that the details be announced at an early date. The scheme needs to be as straightforward as possible and not tied up in paperwork. There also needs to be some flexibility on timelines. Farmers and contractors need those payments issued as quickly as possible.”
“In addition, there is the day activation unit in Cavan town, which provides day services for young adults with complex needs. At present, it is in totally unsuitable accommodation. Again, I am very glad that the HSE, in conjunction with the Department of children, is advancing that project. However, again and again, despite the best efforts of HSE officials at local level, it takes far too long to get projects to construction. I sincerely hope the Minister can get that message through to every Department and agency. Process must not win out over delivery.”
“The need for additional childcare places is replicated in small areas. I am working with groups in small parishes and villages such as the Denn Toddlers Playgroup in Crosskeys, County Cavan, and Happy Days Childcare in Belturbet, County Cavan. Crosskeys is a small village and Belturbet is a small town but they have huge demand for additional places, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will know. It is therefore extremely important that the building blocks scheme be expanded, if at all possible. There is a similar situation in disability services. There are two particular needs in my constituency. There is a need to considerably expand the Drumlin House Training Centre. I am very glad that substantial capital funding has been approved in respect of that development.”
“The Minister may recall that, between 2004 and 2008, his predecessor in Dublin West, our colleague the late Brian Lenihan and I were both were both Ministers of State with responsibility for children. At that time, we were providing grant aid in excess of €1 million for new childcare facilities. During that four- to five-year period, massive and necessary development took place in the country to build a whole new infrastructure of childcare facilities, both through the community sector and private providers. We need a repeat of that today.”
“I thank the Minister for his reply. I heard him speak at the recent meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. He said that in far too many instances over the years process won out over delivery with regard to the capital programmes for different Departments. I refer to the childcare sector in particular. With the Minister's approval, the Minister, Deputy Foley, recently introduced the building blocks grant scheme towards the provision of new childcare places and the upgrading of existing facilities. That is a very worthwhile programme. The Minister, Deputy Foley, recently visited my constituency, where she met some of the providers who have availed of the building blocks grant scheme and others who urgently need to increase capacity or to upgrade existing capacity. That scheme needs additional investment.”
“As the Minister knows, chapter 15 of the national development plan is titled "Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services". With an increasing demand for places across those three sectors, it is absolutely essential that we have that increased investment put to use as quickly as possible. We need increased facilities in rural and urban Ireland. I sincerely hope that the money allocated can be spent as quickly as possible and that we do not have the type of interminable delays which have occurred over the years in respect of so many worthwhile projects.”
“We know that with present prices, the cost of making silage would increase substantially, impacting farmers and agri contractors who would be spreading much dearer fertiliser. Making silage and spreading slurry will be key and essential farm activities over the next number of weeks and the increases will put huge pressure on farm costs and incomes. This is at a time when the prices paid to farmers are stagnant, if not falling, for some sectors. The significant increase in fuel costs is a cause of great anxiety and concern for farmers and agri contractors. We all know that increased energy costs adversely impact other essential farm inputs. For the consumer, food prices will also go up. In his role as Minister for Finance, I ask the Tánaiste to revisit this as a matter of urgency.”
“The Tánaiste and other members of the Government indicated clearly on Tuesday that the introduction of other relief measures would be kept under constant consideration in light of the serious difficulties facing households and businesses due to the increase in energy costs. I suggest that the omission of the farming community and agri contractors from meaningful support in that announcement should be addressed as a matter of urgency. I understand that three weeks ago, green diesel cost 96 cent per litre. Today, it costs at least 163 cent per litre, which is an increase of upwards of 70%. The excise rate of green diesel needs to be revisited quickly. The silage season is less than two months away.”
“That was a good event and great credit is due to the Army and Department of Defence in organising it. People should be honoured when they go beyond the call of duty and take on specific challenges.”
“I thank the Minister and very much welcome her emphasis on a greater increase in diversity within the Defence Forces. In my constituency, my colleague Senator Diarmuid Wilson is a member of the defence and security committee and attended the event in Renmore Barracks last week. Several people referred to that particular event over the weekend at clinics and other gatherings I was at. This shows the general interest among the public in the well-being of our Defence Forces. It was good to see those people, the chaplain and his colleagues, being honoured in view of the very serious incident they faced. It is important that that good message, that the State looks after its members and cares for those who have faced particular challenges and have shown great bravery, is put out in the public domain.”
“When we had a very heavy Army presence in the Cavan-Monaghan area with two barracks, many relatively young people, unfortunately, had to leave the Army because they reached a certain age.”
“I thank the Minister for her reply. Again, it is important we recognise there has been stabilisation in the whole defence numbers, with a welcome increase also. Recent programmes for Government gave a welcome commitment to build on improvements in the recruitment process and, as the Minister rightly referred to, better representation of women at all levels of the Defence Forces. Are there any particular additional measures being proposed this year to implement those commitments? Some years ago, there was a ludicrous position where people had to leave after 20 years and there was the age limit. Are there any considerations being given to changing the age limit with regard to retirement?”
“As the Minister is well aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces produced a very important strategy in 2022, and the subsequent implementation plan outlined a series of measures that needed to be taken to strengthen our Defence Forces. One of the key issues was the whole area of recruitment and retention of personnel. I welcome the progress that has been made, but I am sure the Minister will be the first to admit it is slower than any of us want. Are there any particular measures the Minister can introduce in 2026 to improve both recruitment and retention?”
“-----where members of the Defence Forces could acquaint themselves with the topography and detailed knowledge of that Border region because we are in a difficult security situation and we never know what is ahead of us.”
“What I have suggested, and some of the senior Army personnel at a committee said should be considered, and I would hope the Minister would ask her Department officials to consider, is that Dún Uí Néill could be opened again as a forward operating base-----”
“I do not expect the Minister to answer on this specifically this evening. There was a huge corporate knowledge acquired by members of the Defence Forces when they were based in Dún Uí Néill Barracks in Cavan right through the central Border area. As the Minister will be aware, the military barracks is Finner Camp in south Donegal and there is nothing in the central Border region until we go over to the east, to Aiken Barracks.”