Border region still not feeling the recovery as the threat of Brexit looms large – Smith

19th June 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith says the Government is still not doing enough to support jobs in the border region. His comments come following the release of CSO data on employment from Census 2016, which highlights 3 “unemployment blackspots” across Cavan and Monaghan. Deputy Smith commented, “The latest Census 2016 data identifies Cavan […]

Parents still forking out massive amounts in childcare despite Govt promises – Smith

13th June 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith says parents across Cavan and Monaghan are still paying more than €120 a week on childcare costs despite claims from the Children’s Minister that prices would be dramatically reduced under the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme. New figures reveal that under the “full day universal” payment, parents will only […]

Greater effort needed to tackle online abuse – Smith

6th June 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan – Monaghan Brendan Smith has called on social media companies to work closely with the Government in order to tackle the growing scourge of online abuse. Deputy Smith further added that the Government needs to re-examine its strategy for dealing with online abuse by giving one Department lead responsibility for […]

Greater Garda supports needed to tackle social media abuse – Smith

8th May 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has called on the Justice Minister to engage with social media companies to ensure that they hand over important information to An Garda Síochána in a timely and efficient manner. Deputy Smith explained, “Last week I read with great concern about the unnecessary obstacles members of An Garda […]

Govt must work to protect Border jobs and businesses from Brexit fallout – Smith

30th April 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has welcomed the agreement reached by the EU27 this weekend, but is warning that this is only the beginning of a long road of negotiations. The deal has enshrined the Good Friday Agreement and makes provisions for Northern Ireland to be re-admitted to the EU in the event […]

Tourism hit as Brexit fallout takes hold – Smith

21st April 2017

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has expressed concern following new tourism figures which reveal a fall-off in the number of British visitors to Ireland. The statistics from the CSO show a 6% drop in British tourists between December and February. Deputy Smith commented, “These latest figures are not completely surprising, but they are […]

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Stephen Donnelly for Wicklow

You joined FF a few months ago because you saw it as the best chance of a cabinet seat , let's call a spade a spade Stephen !

Yes, do mind the negativity. You're getting it because you duped me and many others who gave their vote to the Social Democrats NOT Fianna Fáil. Nobody would probably have had an issue with that had you at least had the decency to wait until the next general election. By dismissing the negativity you're just further dismissing the anger and views of those who voted you in in the first place.

Fianna Fáil have had numerous chances to shape Irelands future and I've fallen for your lies for long enough and you'll never get my vote again because all you've done is shape our doom. FF FG and Labour are nothing but a shower of stinking RATS!

What's Stephen Donnelly doing in a F.F. video? Oh yeah, he 'signed' for them a while ago and we haven't heard a peep out of him since. Another Georgie Lee in the making!

Did you not vote for the vile Eviction Bill , making it easy for the banks and vulture funds to evict families , the elderly and the ill from their homes leading to homelessness , many suicides to date and now hidden hunger stalks our land .! Yesterday alone 10 families were hauled up before these courts in Tullamore and every day hundreds more terrified people endure the same distress and trauma . What will you do now too late redress this morally bankrupt action ?

I actually had time for Stephen Donnelly when he was an independent. But I guess money talks at the end of the day.

For Feck sake Stephen Donnelly you got elected so that the citizens wouldn't have to give power or look at that shower of conniving scoundrels still sitting in Fianna Fail seats despite their facilitation of the complete economic downturn that's left a legacy of homelessness and impoverishment leading to years of unforgivable suffering for families. The so-called peoples party became the facilitators of Austerity measures whilst protecting Capitalism. The rule Once bitten twice shy must be applied where FF are concerned.

Turn coat Stephen Donnelly, and what did you say, "the only way to get things done us to join a party" you sold out for a cushy job and a spot at the table, didn't you listen to the people when we told you to be in a party means to give up your voice to the whip. P45 for you after the next election.

Your a self serving traitor Steven, you were voted in by the people as an independent because you knew that was you way in and now you joined one the most dishonest parties in Ireland hoping to further your career, you lied to get power so who can trust you now??????? A turncoat your like Italy in the war joining which ever side is winning, your one horrible man and your exactly what is wrong with politics in Ireland today.

Fianna Fail is a grassroots movement?? Or you left the grassroots movement of the Social Dems for the Fianna failures?! In fairness it's a good bet, Fianna Gowl won't get back in which means the failures will, unless an actual grassroots movement on the left gets its act together. Whatever happens, you have lost the respect of your electorate.

Rats jumping ship not for the people but for themselves and what he can get for himself.. my dad was a town commissioner when they first started in greystones and was elected every time because he cared about the people of Greystones and gave all his time for free

Adam The real subtitles "I wanted to help my country,my community and most importantly my pocket.....I joined FF a few months ago because I believe I need a cabinet seat so I can be even more of a dickhead in the national media...nevermind the fact that I got involved in politics to oppose the policies of FF during the financial crash"😂

You must be joking! I know the kind of future Fianna Fail want to shape - one that puts them ahead of the country. As for Stephen Donnelly, here is one Wicklow voter who will never vote for him again.

Don't mind the negativity, in other words FF are only looking for YES people, people that agree no matter if its right or wrong. If you get involved in politics to help people, then why do you agree to allowing so many STEALTH taxes. Leaving a lot of people with no savings or future. Politics as we know it is finished in Ireland because there is far to much corruption. Our elected politicians are not allowed to do anything unless our unelected civil servants say so. Tell me whats the point of joining a party that had a whip system. That is a dictatorship not a democracy.

Fianna Fail shaping Ireland's future?.. Isn't it bad enough that you already practically bankrupted the country once without getting the chance to do it again?.. Ffs

I voted for him but he is a turn coat it's wrong how you vote and they completely let the party down whats the point in voting

People have asked what is the significance of the 9.4 exemption. I am going to try and put this is as simple terms as I possibly can so it can be understood by all. This 9.4 exemption is vital if we are to push for complete and thorough removal of water charges, no matter what form they may take and that includes the excess charge which is still a water charge. The exemption also removes the need for water meters and even the need to have Irish Water as the utility providing the metering and billing services. In essence, the 9.4 exemption, if enacted and supported in the upcoming River Basin Plan, would force the Government to fully reverse the changes they made to introduce the water charging regime. This would negate the need to even discuss charges and meters and even Irish Water itself as they would become irrelevant because our exemption allows us to continue to use general taxation to pay for the public water supply. So you can see why they do not want any mention of the exemption in the plan. Now here's the kicker. The Water Commission that was set up deliberately kept the 9.4 exemption out of proposals and discussions so that it would never be included in the final report on water charges. By leaving it out, it forced the committee to begin to take into account the polluter pays principle which would ensure that the end user pays for amount of water used and that means water charges through metering. The so called abolishing of the water charges is nothing of the sort. It's a temporary halt to full charges while they use the time to introduce more water meters and eventually get the system for metering and charging up and running. They won't be allowed to keep funding Irish Water indefinitely as it will be seen as a Government subvention so at some stage the CER will have to alter the free allowance in order to allow Irish Water to gain necessary revenue to replace that which the Government currently provides. This water committee report will be the basis by which the next River Basin Plan is structured. In that plan, according to the report that passed the Committee: 1. There will be an allowance of 1.7 times the daily allowance for the household and that has to be determined by the CER. 2. All new builds and refurbished houses must have water meters installed. 3. Excess water charges must be paid for those who go over the daily allowance 4. Irish Water PLC will remain as the metering, billing and management of the public water system. The temporary halt to water charges is giving the Government the time they need to submit the River Basin Plan without the 9.4 exemption and then the new charging regime will become the established practice. Remember: The 9.4 exemption would have prevented the Government from introducing this new polluter pays charging regime. It is clear that they have always wanted these water charges and water meters. They defied the voting public and went ahead and set up Irish Water and forced bills on you because they wanted water charges. It was their plan all along and they do not want it altered in any way. They are hoping you won't notice the clock counting down to the closing of the public consultations which are due to end on the 31st of August 2017. After that date, the Government will add the Water Committee report and finalise the River Basin Plan and then proceed to submit it to the European Commission by December of this year without any mention of the 9.4 exemption. The European Commission will be under the impression that this is what Ireland wants and then a charging regime will become the established practice. Once this happens then you can forget trying to fight this battle because the war will have been lost and no amount of protests can reverse the loss of the 9.4 exemption once its gone. The European Commission can simply say that we gave it up and now we must live with it... As Marian Harkin said in her interview on Ocean FM this morning... "All I want at the end of this, that in twelve moths time, we do not have a Government Minister standing up and saying "Oh well we prefer not to have water charges but Brussels insists". Right now we can make the changes that will allow us to go back. Use the flexibility that's there but if we don't do it we'll only have ourselves to blame. When we sent the FIRST River Basin Plan to the Commission in 2010, we closed the door but we didn't lock it. We will lock it with the SECOND River Basin Plan if we do not ask to use the 9.4 exemption" The ball is in your court folks... ~Belenus

So disappointed had such hopes for Stephen . Young intelligent educated and seemed so genuine. Hope F.F delivers on the pay off . F.G tried this with Georgie Lee but Richard Bruton had other ideas .

I thought he was going to be one of the good one's when he was an independent, but just another corrupt politician looking after themselves sickening.

Oh what about the homeless Stephen you were one of the politicians who voted in the Eviction Bill . Shame Corrupt State , not many politicians with a backbone or morals among the lot of them . Their motto is I'm alright Jack .

Stephen you spoke with me for 5/10 mins in my doorstep in the last General Election, in Deepdales, and you bowled me over. I promised you my number 1 and I delivered... You didn't! I feel let down but understand why you did what you did to a certain extent. I'll not give you a vote again but hey live and let live....

i left your toxic party over people like you and that dirty pig Mehole Martin if you want to bring Fianna Fail in from the wilderness bring this disgusting load of blueshirt filth down but sorry i know from my tallies here in Kilkenny you wont get any seats left it too long Steven just looking for a fat pension you bollox

Are you guys getting nervous now that a bright young team are in charge of the country?Stephen you defected to the wrong gang

What cringe making nonsense. This man conned the people of Wicklow into voting for him as an "Independent". We are waiting in the long grass for Donnelly to come to our doors scrounging votes for F.F! Self-serving Opportunist !

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Border region still not feeling the recovery as the threat of Brexit looms large – Smith

Parents still forking out massive amounts in childcare despite Govt promises – Smith

Greater effort needed to tackle online abuse – Smith

Greater Garda supports needed to tackle social media abuse – Smith

Govt must work to protect Border jobs and businesses from Brexit fallout – Smith

Tourism hit as Brexit fallout takes hold – Smith

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