Brady slams Council for sending Mothers and Children to Homless Shelter in Rathdrum

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has labelled the
Housing crisis in Wicklow as despicable, he also stated that the
actions of Bray Town Council in sending young families to a homeless
shelter in Rathdrum as a totally unacceptable solution to the crisis.

Councillor Brady stated "The housing crisis in Wicklow is continuing
to spiral out of control, there are 4,154 families in Wicklow in need
of social housing. Over the last 2 years the situation facing families
has dramatically deteriorated and its now resulted in young families
being referred to a homeless shelter in Rathdrum. The current
government policy has put a stop to the construction of social housing
and a new policy of social leasing enacted. The government has also
cut the amount paid for rental assistance which is forcing people out
of their private rented accommodation because the landlords are
unwilling to reduce the rent. This coupled with a huge shortage to
houses under the Rental Accomodation Scheme (RAS) have created a
ticking housing time bomb that's about to explode."

Cllr Brady went on "I am currently dealing with a number of families
who have been and are in the process of being made homeless. One young
mother from Bray and her 3 children were sent to the homeless shelter
in Rathdrum last week were they still remain. She had to move out of
her private rented accommodation because the landlord needed the house
back for another family member. She has been unable to find another
house in Bray within her price bracket and has had to present herself
and her children as homeless to the Town Council. Even though she has
been on the councils housing list for 7 years the council stated they
have nothing for her and told her to stay with family members or go to
the homeless shelter in Rathdrum, which is 40 km away and served with poor 
public transport."

"It is disgraceful that things have got this bad, but to add insult to
injury for the council to send a young mother with 3 children, one of
which attends school in Bray, to a homeless shelter in Rathdrum is
totally unacceptable. I am aware of at least one other young mother
who is facing the same prospects in 2 weeks time unless action is
taken. This i believe is only the tip of the iceberg, many other
families simply refuse to go to Rathdrum and end up on the floor of a
friend or family member." Brady continued.

He concluded by saying "We need immediate action to be taken in
Wicklow to deal with the housing crisis. It is disgraceful that houses
remain boarded up in Bray whilst young families are forced into a
unsuitable homeless shelter. We need emergency accommodation in Bray
to cater for young families who find themselves homeless and
ultimately we need to force Fine Gael and Labour to get their heads
out of the sand on this issue, we need a change to the flawed housing
policy that's created this human tragedy." Ends

Censorship of Wicklow Fire Fighters is Wrong- Brady

Wicklow Sinn Féin councillor John Brady has sharply criticised a
gagging order that has been imposed on members of Wicklow Fire Service
by Wicklow County Council. The Brigade order was signed by the Chief
fire Officer Aidan Dempsey on 29th April, it bans members of the fire
service talking to the media or identifying themselves as members of
Wicklow Fire Service.

Cllr Brady said "I am very concerned at the level of censorship that
has been imposed on members of Wicklow Fire Service by the County
Council. The gagging order was signed off by the Chief Fire officer
Aidan Dempsey, it bans any member of the fire service identifying
themselves as firefighters on the Internet or during discussions on
social media. Any person found to be in breech of the order may be
subject to Wicklow County Councils grievance and disciplinary
procedure"

"I believe that this Brigade Order could well be an infringement of the
rights for freedom of speech for members of the fire service. I know
all firefighters are proud to serve their community and are well
respected by the communities they serve, they proudly wear tee shirts
and jackets off duty showing they are members of the fire service. The
gagging order bans staff from taking pictures in the fire stations or
at the scene of a fire or at a training event. This is simply a tactic
being employed by the council to ensure they control what message
comes from the fire service and the council, the timing of the Brigade
order says it all really. It was served little more than a month
before the high profile court case against the Council relating to the
deaths of firemen Brian Murray and Mark O' Shaughnessy. The order also
bans fire fighters talking to public representatives." continued
Brady.

The Sinn Féin councillor concluded "Unfortunately the council seem to
believe they are operating the secret service and that the fire
fighters lead a double life keeping their job top secret. Restricting
firefighters from the Internet and websites such as Facebook or
LinkedIn is shortsighted, censorship and ultimately a restriction of
Freedom of speech which is protected by Article 40.6.1 of the Irish
constitution." Ends

Brady welcomes N11 project, but local jobs needed

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has welcomed the deal that was signed to complete the Rathnew to Arklow bypass on the N11 in Co. Wicklow. However he is looking for assurances to be given that locals will be employed on the project and that guarantees will be given that at no point in the future tolls will be introduced.


Speaking after the deal was signed Brady said "I warmly welcome thesigning of this contract, its been long awaited and unfortunately wehave had far too many false dawns on this scheme in the past. The dealinvolves the construction, operation, maintenance and financing of the16.5 kilometres of four-lane dual carriageway linking the existingArklow Bypass with the existing Rathnew/Ashford Bypass in Co.Wicklow.The contract has been awarded to BAM civil limited in a publicprivate partnership and is worth 282 million euro. It’s expected tocreate up to 1,000 jobs during development of the Bypass which isbeing bundled in with the N7 Newlands Cross free-flow system in westDublin. I think its important that the vast majority of these jobs goto people in Wicklow who have the necessary skills and that thematerials for the project would also be sourced from suppliers in theCounty."
Cllr Brady continued "What the people of Wicklow want now isguarantees that some of the thousands of unemployed people from thecounty will benefit from the construction of the dual carriageway.Guarantees are also needed that at no point in the future will theroad be tolled."
"We have been told that the provision of tolls are not to beimplemented at this point, however we need assurances, that at nopoint in the future will they be installed on the N11. The signing ofthe contract is welcome if somewhat long overdue." Brady concluded.

Artists invited to submit proposals for sculpture to commemorate Wicklow firefighters Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy

Commemorative Commission

Wicklow County Council

Bray Town Council

15^th April 2013

Artists are being invited to submit a proposal for a site specific sculpture at location Fr Colahan Terrace in Bray Co Wicklow.  The commission is for a permanent external site – based work which is commemorative in nature.

The focus of the commission is to commemorate the lives of two firemen who lost their lives during their work with the Fire Service.  The aim of the commission is to provide the family and extended community in the area with an outlet for expression and remembrance, which can enhance the public facility where it is placed.  The preference would be for the development of a piece, which would allow people a contemplative space in which to reflect. 

The Fire Service forms a vital component of Local Authority Services, with the focus of saving lives and protecting public safety at its core.  The dedicated personnel provide an important emergency response function as well as participating in vital education and awareness raising for example in our primary schools supporting fire prevention.

The site proposed for the location of the work is at the heart of a community facility in the park in Bray.

Submission Requirements:

This is an open competition.

Form /

Contact detail sheet:                         Completed, clearly Stating commission Title.

                                   

                                     

Curriculum Vitae:                  No more than two A4 pages typed including two  referees.

Supporting Information:      Drawings of proposed work and visual materials  indicating scale and or other forms of submission which help clarify the proposed concept.

Budget:                       Please provide us with a budget clearly stating all costs the budget including VAT should not exceed the amount available of €23,000

Concept Proposal:     Between one and two A4 typed pages outlining your ideas of approach to the commission

Timeline:                     Your proposed timeline for realisation from concept to site

Ensure that:               All elements are clearly labelled and sufficiently     comprehensive.  That the budget also includes cost for siting work.  That the proposal is manageable and realistic in scale.

Selection Panel:         The selection panel will include:

• A nominee of Bray Town Council                              
• A nominee of Wicklow County Council
• A nominee of the Commemorative Committee
• An arts specialist representative 

Proposed Selection week ending 26th May 2013

Selection Criteria:      Artistic merit and uniqueness of proposal

                                    Response to site and context

                                    Meaningful response to location and community

                                    Ability to realise the commission

                                    Experience of working in this context

Contracts:                   Wicklow County Council will offer the successful      artist/writer a Contract for Services.  (Award of Contract by 31st May 2013) Payments will be made in instalments as per Contract.  Due regard for the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and any other statutory issues will apply.

Please send contact detail sheet and requested material to:

Helena Dennehy

A / Senior Executive Officer

Water & Environmental Services

Wicklow County Council

County Buildings, Wicklow Town

Co. Wicklow

Submissions should be clearly marked Commemorative Commission Bray

Closing Date:              The closing date for receipt application is 17^th May 2013 at 12 noon.

Please note that late, e-mailed or faxed submissions will not

be accepted.

Important Note:        Desired delivery date and completion of the sculpture would be 7^th September 2013 however artist must include within their submission detailed and realistic time scale for delivery.

 Some assistance will be provided to prepare the ground works and site finishes by Bray Town Council.  As this is a public site, artists should present materials which are durable and coated for the protection of vandalism. 

Enclosures:

• Site Location Map
• Site Photo
• Contact details sheet including Name, Address, Mobile, Email etc

Commemorative Commission

Wicklow County Council

Bray Town Council

Form / Contact detail sheet:

NAME:             ___________________________________________

Correspondence Address:            ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day time Contact Number:     ____________________________________________

Mobile:                                    _____________________________________________

Email Address:                                    _____________________________________________

Commission Title:                   _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Closing Date:              The closing date for receipt application is 17^th May 2013 at 12 noon. Please note that late, e-mailed or faxed submissions will not be accepted.

Please send contact detail sheet and requested material to:

Helena Dennehy

A / Senior Executive Officer

Water & Environmental Services

Wicklow County Council

County Buildings, Wicklow Town

Co. Wicklow

Submissions should be clearly marked Commemorative Commission Bray

Wicklow County Council to hold a Special meeting to discuss the Housing Crisis in the County

Wicklow County Council is set to hold a special meeting on Monday to
discuss the Housing Crisis in the County which has seen an all-time
high of 4,154 families looking for social housing from Wicklow local
authorities.

Cllr Brady stated "I am glad that the housing crisis that’s affecting
so many people in Wicklow is at last getting the recognition that it
deserves at council level. I have been speaking about the problem with
housing for a long time now and unfortunately it has fallen on deaf
ears. The current housing policies of Fine Gael/Labour are compounding
the problems for families who are on housing lists with the local
authorities in Wicklow. The Government has adopted a policy of
building no more council houses and the level of funding provided to
local authorities for housing related purposes has been slashed. In
2009 Wicklow received €15m for Housing projects, this year the
allocation is just €2.4m and the Housing Adaptation grant for people
with disabilities has been cut by 40% from €954,794 last year to
€567,117 in 2013."

Cllr Brady continued "Applicants on the housing list are soaring for a
number of reasons. The main reason being the failed housing policies
which the government is perusing, also because of the age structure of
the population. The cuts to the rent allowance is also forcing people
out of private rented accommodation. There are 2,700 people in receipt
of Rent Supplement in Wicklow at a cost of €16.3m which is paid to
private landlords. The amount paid to people has been slashed, however
private landlords have not dropped rents to reflect this and the
shortfall has to be made up by the tenants which is causing huge
difficulties."

Brady went on to say "What we need is action to tackle the housing
crisis. We have 4,154 families on waiting lists, 2,700 on Rent
Supplement and 490 on the Rental Accommodation Schemes. This state is
in a continuing housing crisis which is leaving the worst off in our
society sleeping on couches and raising their children in unhealthy,
damp and crowded conditions. The government is turning a blind eye to
this, more interested in paying someone else’s bank debt than
providing for the rights of its people."

Brady concluded "We need a Social Housing Initiative which will
stimulate the building and construction industry, both through funding
additional dwellings and increasing expenditure on repairs and
maintenance. This will help stimulate businesses which supply
construction materials and help to retain jobs in the industry. The
state must use the Pension Reserve Fund, the European Investment Bank,
incentivised investment from the private pension sector and social
housing bonds to raise funds to start to end this crisis finally.
According to CSO figures there are 5,422 vacant dwellings in Wicklow,
these also need to be utilised as an emergency way of dealing with the
housing list of which over 25% are waiting 5 years or more to be
housed. I will be raising all these issues at the special Council
meeting on Monday and also seeking a meeting with Minister for Housing
Jan O'Sullivan." Ends

Action needed as Child injured by a Horse in Bray Housing Estate

Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady is calling for action to be taken by
the local authorities in Wicklow to deal with the issue of horses
within housing estates. This follows a recient incident in a housing
estate in Bray where a child was kicked by a horse.

Cllr Brady stated "On Monday last a child who was walking across
public open space in the Fassaroe estate in Bray was kicked by a horse
that was being kept in the area. Thankfully the child was not
seriously injured, however it is only a matter of time before someone
is seriously injured if immediate action is not taken by the local
authorties in Wicklow to deal with this problem that has dramatically
increased over the last number of years."

Cllr Brady continued "I have been contacted by residents from across
Wicklow in relation to horses that are being kept within housing
estates, it has become a very serious and dangerous problem
particularly in urban areas. There are problems with the horses
straying, roaming, causing danger on roads and being ridden without
proper restraint by underage riders. Under the Control of Horses Act
1996 the County Council is responsible for the control of horses
within their area. Wicklow County Council has the power to appoint
authorised persons to deal with any problems relating to the control
of horses. Authorised persons have the power to seize and impound
horses, impose an on-the-spot fine and take court proceedings against
owners."

"I don't have any problems with responsible people keeping horses once
they have the proper facilities to do so. Keeping them within housing
estates is totally inappropriate and dangerous and has to be stopped.
It is creating huge problems not only with regards to public safety
but also for animal welfare. Local authorities must tackle this
problem before a child is seriously injured or worse." Ends

Letter to the Editor in relation to comments made by Wicklow Fianna Fail PRO Stephen Kearon following the death of Margaret Thatcher

A chara,

I feel compelled to write this letter out of total disgust at a number of Tweets that came from Wicklow Fianna Fáil PRO and former Government Advisor to the rejected former Minister Dick Roche, Stephen Kearon following the death of Margaret Thatcher. On Monday last following the death of former British Conservative Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher the Fianna Fáil mouth piece posted a number of disgraceful tweets saying “Thatcher deserves our gratitude for ensuring Provo thugs & criminals who didn’t like prison food deservedly died painfully” he followed this with another message saying “Sands is now burning in the eternal fires of hell, just what his kind deserves”

These messages are obvious references  to the 10 Hunger strikers who died in the H-Blocks in 1981 at the hands of Thatcher. I think these messages coming from the PRO of Wicklow Fianna Fáil and former Government Advisor give us a good insight into the thinking of the so called ‘Republican Party’ that is Fianna Fáil.

We should be mindful of the legacy that Margaret Thatcher leaves behind and the hurt and pain that Thatcher inflicted on the Irish and British people during her time as British Prime Minister. Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge. She also brought huge amounts of pain on ordinary working people in Britain through her Poll Tax and her prolonged attempts to destroy both the Unions and the Coal Mining industry in Britain.

Here in Ireland her espousal of old draconian militaristic policies prolonged the war on our island and caused great suffering. She embraced censorship, collusion and the killing of citizens by covert operations, including the targeting of solicitors like Pat Finucane, alongside more open military operations and refused to recognise the rights of citizens to vote for parties of their choice. Her attempts to criminalise the struggle for Irish freedom will be what she will be most despised for here in Ireland. This British policy was fought in the prisons in the 6 Counties by republican prisoners who engaged in the Blanket protest and the Dirty Protest. Unfortunately these protests culminated in the Hunger strikes of 1980/81 which seen 10 Irishmen die painful deaths at the hands of Thatcher and her Government.

Margaret Thatcher died on 8th April the day before the 32nd anniversary of the election Of Bobby Sands as an MP for Fermanagh, South Tyrone, he received 30,492 votes in contrast to the 57 votes that Wicklow Fianna Fáil mouth piece Stephen Kearon received when he went before the people of Wicklow in the Local elections of 1999.

It is no wonder consecutive Irish Governments abandoned the people of the 6 Counties when you have anti-Irish, Thatcherite apologists such as Stephen Kearon giving advise to them. I think the irony of the fact that Kearon is a member of the Erskine Childers Fianna Fáil Cuman goes right over Kearon’s head. Was Childers a ‘Criminal’ or a ‘thug’ for his involvement in the fight for Irish Freedom or for his involvement in weapons smuggling on the Asgard. Surly if you follow the twisted logic of Kearon, Thomas Ashe and Terence McSweeney who both died on hunger strike where also ‘criminals’ or ‘thugs’ is he also glad that they died painfully at the hands of the British.

Thankfully due to the peace process Ireland is a changed place and the vast majority of Irish people are working hard to build a better Ireland. Unfortunately there are still some bitter twisted people living in the past. I am calling on Fianna Fáil grassroots members to disassociate themselves from the comments made by Stephen Kearon. I believe the insight given by Kearon takes us deeper into the thoughts of Fianna Fáil at the highest levels. Fianna Fáil failed the hunger strikers much the same way as they have failed the people of the 6 Counties since the partition of our Country. They need to stop flying the ‘Republican’ flag of convenience, because for as long as they have Thatcherite, Anti-Irish, Right Wing Conservatives in their ranks such as Stephen Kearon they will be little more than west Brit lackies implementing the same failed policies of Maggie Thatcher.

Is mise le meas

Cllr. John Brady

63 Kilbride Grove

Bray

Co. Wicklow

087-0666780