Fianna Fáil Councillor, John Paul Feeley has called on the Minister for Agriculture and Food to open the GLAS Programme for farmers as they leave the AEOS, pointing out that 74 farmers in County Cavan are affected by the Governments refusal to allow farmers move from one Scheme to the other rather than suffer the financial loss of not being in either scheme for a period.
‘When opened GLAS was to cost €250 million. There has been an underspend of €62 million todate, money which if spend on reopening GLAS to farmers whose contracts under AEOS closed in 2018 would help get the rural economy moving and also help farmers implement measures on their farmers with massive environmental benefits thereby helping the country meet our Climate Change target.’
‘The Minister has been challenged in the Dail to make a positive decision on this, there needs to be local action from his party colleagues to get a positive response for the 74 farmers in Cavan and the 2300 nationally who should be moved into GLAS without further delay.’
ENDS

Community & Voluntary and Festival Grants approved for Cavan-Belturbet Municipal District

Fianna Fáil County Councillor, John Paul Feeley has warmly welcomed the approval of Community & Voluntary Grants to groups across the Municipal District under the 2019 Scheme.

‘Through my involvement in many groups and through my work as a County Councillor, I see on a daily basis the valuable voluntary work undertaken by community groups throughout our county. The unheralded work of these volunteers help to build up communities and enhance villages, amenity areas and community facilities for local residents and visitors alike, as a County Council we must be everything we can to help build up these communities and help with their efforts.’

Community & Voluntary Grants

Group Plan Amount
Teach Oscail Purchase of Equipment € 500
Young Parents
& Toddler Group

Killygarry Foròige Purchase of Equipment € 300

Kilnavara Tools, fertiliser & seeds for polytunnel € 300
Residents Assoc.

Swanlinbar Dev. Purchase of Equipment for Cuilcagh Cafe € 300
Assoc.

Drumglen Replace dead trees & shrubs € 300
Residents Assoc.

Marian Park Plant flowerbeds etc € 300
Residents Assoc
Belturbet

SOSAD Panic Alarms for volunteers € 300

Templeport Buy TV & other equipment € 300
Foróige

Lakeview Res. Build raised beds etc. € 300
Assoc. Cavan

Parenting Cavan Purchase of equipment € 500
County Childcare Committee
Cavan Town Start-up costs & equipment € 500
Parkrun

Belturbet Arts Display boards etc. € 300
& Craft Group

Belturbet Comm. Planting of area at Goods Store € 300
Dev. Assoc Community Centre

Killeshandra Daycare Replace boiler etc. € 300

Cavan Tidy Towns Plant heathers/student engagement € 400

Killeshandra Buy combi-engine strimmer etc € 500
Comm Council

Killinagh Comm Landscaping Belcoo Road € 500
Dev. Ltd Blacklion

Glangevlin Comm. Erect Lights on Community Centre € 500
Dev.

Belturbet Heritage Railway Signs to assist tours € 500

Belturbet Community Refurbishment of premises € 500
Bowls

Shannon Valley Purchase equipment € 300
Women’s Group (Dowra)

Dowra Courthouse Purchase vacuum cleaner € 300

Festivals Grants

Belturbet Comhaltas County Fleadh € 1,000

Cavan Comhaltas Ed Reavey Festival € 450

Swanlinbar Dev. Cuilcagh Festival € 450

Teach Oscail Summertime Festival € 450

Cathal Bui Committee 2019 Festival -Blacklion € 450

NYAH Comhaltas Café Sessions -Taste of Cavan € 450

Annalee Athletics Run with Cathriona € 450
Cavan Down Summer Festival € 450
Syndrome Branch

Killeshandra Walking & Activity Weekend € 450
Holidays Assoc

Belturbet Walks 20 Year Exhibitions € 450
& Heritage

Cavan Drama 8 Night Festival € 700
Festival

Glanagevlin Fleadh na Riochta € 450
Comm. Dev

Cavan Arts 3 Night Festival € 450
Festival

Ballyconnell Summer Festival € 450
Dev. Assoc

Cavan Triathln Club Let’s Tri Cavan € 450

Gaelic Group Gaeltacht Students Grant € 200

Leaks reported today from the Department of Communications that the National Broadband Plan is to be further delayed at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow simply cannot be accepted. It is high time for Ministers who proport to represent Rural Ireland to stand up and demand action.
In February as part of an attempt to soften up the electorate for bad news on the NDP we were told it would cost multiples of what was initially thought and the Taoiseach indicated that the Government had to make a final decision as to whether or not it would actually proceed.

How many more studies and reports are required, a new Minister who was supposed to sort it for once and for all has made no progress.

There are Ministers from the region and indeed around Rural Ireland who appear to forget their constituencies and the needs of Rural Ireland when they walk the corridors of Government Buildings.

ENDS

‘The Department has to stop the ETB non-sense on this whole sorry saga. The Management Team, staff, students and school communities need to see independently prepared plans prepared for both schools which will allow both to grow and prosper in the future. The ETB need to take their uncosted, un-approved and siteless proposal for a new school which no community group or individual ever sought, off the table now. I am calling for the Department to conduct an independent review of the whole process todate. Lessons need to be learned and the ETB must not be allowed to continue with their ‘children’s hospital’ style programme.’
Responding to recent media coverage suggesting that Cavan/Monaghan ETB are to prepare a feasibility report on the sites of St. Mogue’s and St. Bricin’s to accommodate required extensions with the aid of external experts, Fianna Fáil County Councillor, John Paul Feeley has called on the Department of Education and Skills to intervene and commission a detailed study of both schools independently.
‘I was amazed to see the spin but on a proposal by the Cavan Monaghan ETB to prepare an internal report being floated as ‘consultants to examine feasibility of school extensions.’ This proposal floated after the last meeting of the ETB was never mentioned at the ETB Board Meeting. It is an internal report which will dip into favourable expert opinions. It is a smokescreen to provide legitimacy to the unmitigated mess that the ETB has made of the development of these two secondary schools and the ‘kite – flying’ in proposing a new school in Ballyconnell.’
Concluding, Councillor Feeley noted that Cavan/Monaghan ETB is one of three ETBs in the country not to have adopted and published a Strategic Plan.
‘I understand that each ETB has a statutory obligation to publish a Strategic Plan setting out the goals and targets of the organisation as agreed by the members. I do not see the Cavan/Monaghan Strategic Plan on their website. If they have one, surely it should be freely available? If they have one surely it should set out major plans like their proposal to close two schools, the rational for the proposal and the methodology for the public consultation etc. The reality is that Cavan/Monaghan ETB have been caught trying to fob a ball of smoke as coherent planning and sadly public representatives on the Board and on the Boards of Management of these schools have fallen for it. Many of them are talking out of both sides of their mouths, praising the schools and the achievements of students and staff on one side ad on other working to undermine them by allowing the ETB progress plans for closure. The only answer now if the Department to have all of this independently examined.’
ENDS