Brendan Smith

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…

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…

-----impacted very severely on schools under the patronage of the smaller churches. We must ensure that policies do not impact severely on small schools.

27. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there will be increased levels of grant aid in the next community sports facilities fund scheme, taking into account the substantial increase in construction costs since the last round of grants were approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33411/26]

56. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when details of the next community sport facilities fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33410/26]

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 c…

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 alloca…

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 b…

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 …

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…

12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his Department’s statement of strategy for 2025 to 2028. [74526/25]

198. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications that have been approved for the vacant property refurbishment grant in Cavan and Monaghan since its introduction; the number of grants that have been paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17477/26]

22. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the 44th British-Irish Council summit in Wales. [70935/25]

148. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the number of people currently enlisted in the Reserve Defence Force; the measures that will be taken to increase the number enlisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12482/26]

This is the first opportunity I have had in this House to wish the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, well with their very important work in the Department of Defence. The implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, published in November 2023, stated very clearly that the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, needs to be revitalised. For far to…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I sincerely hope that the laudable objectives he outlined from the RDF regeneration development plan, which was published in July 2024, are implemented with as much impetus as possible. It is extremely important that we increase the numbers. The RDF should have a greater presence throughout the country and in each community. Deputy Crowe and I were on t…

As regards the Minister of State's final comments with regard to the review of particular services that can be remunerated, I hope that issue can be addressed. As the Minister of State knows, I grew up on the Border. I saw the importance of the Reserve Defence Force. In many instances, good members of the community got young people who may have been in certain difficulty into the Reserve Defence F…

First, I apologise for the absence of Deputy McGreehan, who has another commitment that clashed with the timing of questions here. Three of us here, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I, are from the north east and any investment in Louth is important for our respective counties as well. Of course, I am thinking of Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, where many peo…

I thank the Minister for her response. Our colleague, Deputy McGreehan, will be glad to hear of the Minister's commitment to further investment in Aiken Barracks. I am glad that the Minister emphasised that accommodation needs to be upgraded. As a member of the then Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence some years ago, I had the opportunity to visit some barracks and I have to say I…

I thank the Minister for her response. Deputy Timmins quite rightly referred to investment in cybersecurity. We all agree with that and we know the urgency of it. In the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces of 2022, the preferred enlistment is 11,500 by 2028. That is the target that was outlined in that report. To cater for that enlistment that I sincerely hope will be reached and excee…

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-----

-----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.

151. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the measures being taken to increase recruitment into the Permanent Defence Force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12481/26]

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…

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 par…