Constituency Office: 3 Carrickfern, Cavan.
Tel: 049-4362366
Fax: 049-4362367
Email: Brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie
Born in Cavan, June 1956. Married to Anne McGarry.
Educated Bawnboy National School; St. Camillus College, Killucan, Co. Westmeath; and UCD (B.A. in Politics and Economics).
Full time Public Representative and former Advisor to Government Minister and Tánaiste.
Member of Templeport Gaelic Football Club, the Cavan G.A.A. Supporters' Club, Cavan Drama Festival, Cómhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and Cumann Seanchais Bhréifne.
The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has displayed a complete lack of respect for students this week by casually announcing annual increases in college registration fees over the next four years, according to Fianna Fáil Education Spokesperson Brendan Smith. Read More | Share
The motion before the house tonight on behalf of the Fianna Fáil party clearly outlines our concerns in relation to the adverse affects the changes proposed to the staffing schedule for small schools will cause, to many communities, throughout the country. Read More | Share
Fianna Fáil has condemned the Government’s covert attempts to force the closure of small schools in communities around the country through sweeping cuts and amalgamations without any consultation. Fianna Fáil will tonight (Tuesday, 31 January) move a Dáil motion exposing and objecting to this discriminatory policy that will result in many communities losing their local school. Read More | Share
As a result of Government cuts in the Budget, Career Guidance and Counselling provision will be managed by second-level schools from within their standard teacher allocation. We in the Fianna Fáil Party believe that this decision will not only lead to the end of the Guidance Counselling profession but its effect will be felt most by vulnerable and disadvantaged students. Read More | Share
Fianna Fáil will today call for a full reversal of the Government’s decision to dismantle the provision of guidance counsellors to schools, resulting in the elimination of 700 teaching posts and the end of a service relied on by the nation's most vulnerable students. Read More | Share
Fianna Fáil has welcomed a series of reports today confirming the success of the previous Government's DEIS programme in tackling educational disadvantage, and further exposing the irrationality of the cuts announced by Fine Gael and the Labour Party in December's Budget. Read More | Share
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education Brendan Smith is calling on the government to reverse its decisions in budget 2012 to remove 428 DEIS posts from primary and post primary schools, resulting in a significant increase in the pupil teacher ratio in disadvantages schools. Read More | Share
The Government has singled out disadvantaged schools for significant cuts to teacher numbers next year in another series of callous cuts in Budget 2012, according to Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education & Skills Brendan Smith. Read More | Share
The Government has singled out disadvantaged schools for significant cuts to teacher numbers next year in another series of callous cuts in Budget 2012, according to Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education & Skills Brendan Smith. Read More | Share
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education & Skills Brendan Smith has accused the Government of introducing an increase the pupil-teacher ratio at second level through the back door. Read More | Share
Brendan Smith, T.D. is currently the Spokesperson on Education and Skills.
He is a former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Justice and Law Reform.
First elected to Dáil Eireann in 1992, he has been re-elected for the Cavan/Monaghan constituency in every subsequent General Election.
He has served as a Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food and as Minister for Children, at the Department of Health and Children.
Prior to his election to Dáil Eireann, he served as a Special Advisor to the former Tánaiste and Minister, the late John Wilson.
Other Details:
- Minister for Children from June 2007 to May 2008.
- Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture from September 2004 to June 2007.
- Co-Chairman of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body 2002 - Sept. 2004.
- Member of the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges until Sept. 2004.
- Government Whip on Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 28th Dáil.
- Served as a member of the Co. Cavan Vocational Education Committee including Chairman of the Board of Management of Cavan College of Further Studies and Chairman of the Board of Management of Virginia Vocational School.
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