Dangerous Road Surface at Kilcroney Roundabout Needs Immediate Action

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady has said immediate action is needed to address the dangerous road surface at the Kilcroney roundabout in Bray. He has stated that he has been made aware of many near accidents at the location, when motorists enter onto the roundabout the cars loose all traction sending them into a skid.

The councillor said "I was first contacted on this issue a number of weeks ago by a motorist who went into a spin in his car whilst on the roundabout. He stated he wasn't travelling at speed and the surface was dry. Subsequently taking to other motorists it has became very apparent how extensive the problem actually is, i have spoken to at least 10 motorists who experienced the same thing at the same location over the last 6 months or so".

Brady continued "The latest incident that i was made aware of happened last week when a car with two people inside went into a complete spin on the roundabout, one of the occupants in the car is pregnant and they were convinced the car was going to completely flip over. In the end the car came to a halt facing into the roundabout, again the car was not travelling at any great speed and the tyres on the vehicle were only recently replaced".

The councillor went onto say "I raised the issue at a council meeting and i was surprised when one of the officials present stated the same had happened to him recently at this location. The maintenance of the N11 and the slip roads including the roundabouts has been privatised and a company named GSJ Maintenance Ltd hold the contract. The issue has been raised with them and hopefully action will be taken soon to address this serious problem. The issue has been happening for so long now it doesn't appear that it is an oil spill, it appears to be a poor road surface. I have suggested a special non slip surface be installed like is found at some junctions".

The councillor concluded "I believe the problem to be more extensive and that most motorists haven't reported incidents that may have happened to them. I urge them to either contact myself or the council so a true picture on the scale of the problem can be complied so pressure can be put on GSJ Maintenance to take action to address the problem". Ends.

Hell and Back 2nd February for Merryn

Fantastic day at Hell & Back, it was very cold and tough and I am now covered in bruises. I am delighted to have finished and to have played a small part in trying to raise funds to try help a little girl named Merryn in her fight against cancer. We'll done to everyone who done it, particularly team Merryn.

Angry Tenants to Protest over Exorbitant Rent Increases

Tenants of Bray Town Council are to stage a protest outside the February monthly meeting of the Council to voice their anger and opposition to recent rent increases imposed on them by the Council. Council tenant’s rents have increased on average between 20-30% following the adoption of the Town Council Budget in January.

Speaking after tenants received notification of their rent increases Councillor John Brady said "Letters from the Town Council started to land on the door steps of council tenants on Friday morning informing them of the huge rent increases which had been approved by the majority of councillors at the annual budget meeting in January. On average rents are going up by between 20-30%. Tenants are so angered by these exorbitant increases they plan on staging a protest outside the next Town Council meeting which takes place on Tuesday 4th February".

Sinn Féin representative Oliver O'Brien went on to say "We in Sinn Féin will be supporting the protest which will take place outside the Town Hall on Tuesday next at 7pm. Sinn Féin Councillors Rossa Murray and John Brady are the only councillors that voted against the councils budget because of these huge increases that are being imposed on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Unfortunately the increases were supported by the Labour Party, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael".

Cllr Brady concluded "Housing is a huge problem right across the board. This government is hammering people on Rent Allowance, Social Leasing schemes and they have also made it more difficult for people in the private rented sector where rents are continuing to spiral and there is no assistance available to them. I am asking all people affected by housing issues to join in the protest on Tuesday as I believe it’s not just about council tenants, it’s about the right to have a roof over your head".

Elevated Radiation Levels in Sellafield Highlight the Need for it's immediate closure-Brady

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has said that the British Government must close Sellafield permanently rather than the proposed closure of part of the plant by 2018. He made his calls following news on Friday that non-essential staff at site in Cumbria were asked to stay at home due to elevated radiation levels.

The Sinn Fein councillor said “For years the Sellafield plant has been poisoning the waters around the coastline of Ireland and Britain with radioactive discharges.  This radioactivity is also a source of the rising number of cases of cancer in this region. The news on Friday that staff were asked to stay at home due to elevated radiation levels is alarming and again raises the need for the British Government to close this plant in its entirety and put measures in place which will clean the area up”.

Brady continued “The Thorpe Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield is to close in 2018, but it is little comfort for the people of Wicklow and on the East coast of Ireland who are living beside one of the most radioactive seas in the world. The British government while closing the reprocessing plant have also plans to build a nuclear power plant on the site which will mean continued radio activity for the foreseeable future”.

Councillor Brady went onto say “Sellafield doesn’t have a great safety record and I like the majority of Irish people have no faith in it. In 1957, the worst nuclear disaster in Britain also occurred at the site, when one of the nuclear reactors caught fire releasing radioactive material that spread across the UK and Europe. A 2012 report by the National Audit Office in Britain said some facilities at the 68-year-old site had "deteriorated so much that their contents pose significant risks to people and the environment".

“Sellafield is the largest and most hazardous nuclear site in the UK, and stores enough high and intermediate level radioactive waste to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools and it is estimated the cost of cleaning up the waste at Sellafield could be up to €82billion. I believe Sellafieldis a ticking time bomb that needs to close immediately and the events on Friday just serve to highlight again how precarious nuclear energy is. I am calling on the Irish Government to immediately raise this issue and demand the closure and cleaning up of the entire site”. Concluded Councillor Brady. Ends

Government decision to establish investigation into undergrounding of high voltage powerlines is a con Job

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has labelled the government’s announcement that it intends to set up an independent investigation into the undergrounding of high voltage powerlines as a con job, aimed at trying to fool the electorate ahead of the May Local and European elections.

Cllr Brady said “The proposed construction of these powerlines using overhead pylons has caused considerable controversy and concern here in Wicklow. Groups have been set up in South West Wicklow in the Carnew and Baltinglass areas to oppose the overhead pylons. It is the hard work and perseverance of the campaigning communities involved and the huge level of submissions received in the consultation process that has finally brought the government to this point”.

Brady continued “The government’s proposal to set up an independent investigation, chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Catherine McGuinness, to examine the prospect of undergrounding of high voltage powerlines is con job that is just an election stunt to save the skins of Labour and Fine Gael councillors and MEPs in May”.

“It appears that potential health implications of over-ground pylons appeared to be excluded from the review and that there was no health expert on the panel. It is essential that all implications are analysed in the review and the preparation of these reports must be transparent, comprehensive and most importantly they should listen to all the expert evidence as well as the voices of the communities opposed to the construction of the pylon network” continued Brady

Brady concluded “The technology now exists to efficiently underground high voltage electrical cables. Many counties such as Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom routinely bury cables and Ireland needs to follow suit. What we need is political will and not political election stunts”.

Hell and back to help Merryn

On Sunday February 2^nd I am doing Hell & Back to help raise funds for a little princess that needs our help.
http://www.hellandback.ie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1EqZ0LmWwM

Merryn is like most other 4 year old girls. She plays with her dolls, likes dressing up as a princess, dancing to music and will most likely be wearing something pink... and she always seems to be creating - painting, colouring, drawing or making stuff. She gets excited about school and learning. She just adores life! And has the most infectious giggle. But unlike most other 4 year olds, Merryn has one almighty battle to face.

Merryn has Neuroblastoma – an aggressive childhood cancer of the nervous system.  It is stage 4, which translates to High Risk Neuroblastoma.

Any donations will be greatly appreciated.

http://.idonate.ie/johnbradysf

https://www.facebook.com/merrynlacy

Sinn Féin candidate for Ireland South Liadh Ní Riada visits the Garden County

On Tuesday last Liadh Ní Riada who is the Sinn Féin candidate in the European Elections for the constituency of Ireland South paid a visit to the Garden County. She met with Sinn Féin local election candidates and local groups in Bray, Wicklow Town and Arklow and pledged to work on behalf of the people of Wicklow should she be elected to the European Parliament.

Speaking after the visit Liadh said “On Tuesday I spent the day in Wicklow meeting party members, local election candidates, members of the public and different groups. Whilst Tuesday was my first official days canvass as a candidate in the European elections, I am certainly no stranger to the County. In the past I have spent many happy days working in the County in the film Industry.”

“My visit to the Garden County was the first of many which I plan on making during the course of the European Election campaign. I meet with party members and activists along with Oliver O’Brien and Cllr John Brady who are the local election candidates in Bray before travelling to Wicklow Town.”

Liadh continued “In Wicklow Town I met with Councillors Garrett O’Reilly and John Snell before visiting the Hillview Estate to witness the terrible conditions residents have to live in. I must admit I was truly appalled at the severe dampness and housing standards the tenants must live in. I pledged to follow this up at a national level to ensure action is taken to rectify the problems in the houses.”

“We finished up in Arklow where I met with local fisher men and members of the RNLI lifeboat crew. I was briefed about the poor conditions in the harbour in Arklow and the challenges facing fishermen with unrealistic quotas. Overall I was heartened by the warm response I received from the people of Wicklow. It’s a huge challenge for me to try canvassing 10 Counties, but listening to the issues from the people of Wicklow and trying to address them is what drives me. Many issues such as Eirgrid and the plan to erect pylons across the countryside are issues that most Counties share and I plan on being a voice for people right across the huge constituency.” Liadh concluded

Wicklow County Councillor John Brady stated “We were delighted to welcome Liadh into the County. The European Elections are going to play a huge role in our campaigning over the next few months. I am delighted we have such a good candidate in place as Liadh Ní Riada and I believe she will make a great MEP for the new constituency of Ireland south.”

Pic Includes: Cllr John Brady, Cllr Garrett O'Reilly, Liadh Ní Riada, Cllr John Snell, Aidan Kinsella-Candidate in the Baltinglass LEA