People Fought, Died and Bled for your Right to Vote

On May 23^rd we will be able to shape our future by exercising our democratic right to vote in the Local Government and European Elections. Unfortunately a sizable percentage of the Irish electorate either don’t bother coming out to help shape their future or are simply not registered to vote. In the last local elections only 57.7% voted, in the general election in 2011 69.19% of voters exercised their right to vote.

There are many reasons why people don’t engage in the democratic process. I think it’s really unfortunate and disappointing that such a large percentage of the electorate don’t come out and have their say. When we look at images from countries such as South Africa and the thousands of people queuing up, in many cases for hours on end to vote in the Country’s first free election, which was held 27 April 1994. Democracy and the right to vote has been a long tough fight and is only a fairly new concept here in Ireland, unfortunately people take it for granted and don’t see the importance of it and how it effects them on a daily basis.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the suffragette movement fought a campaign to get women the right to vote. Demonstrations included chaining themselves to railings and setting fire to mailbox contents. One woman, Emily Davison, died at the Epsom Derby when she was run down by the King's horse. Many suffragettes were imprisoned in Holloway Prison in London, and were force-fed after going on hunger strike. It wasn’t until 1918 that women first cast here were allowed to vote in the general election after winning the right to Universal suffrage in 1918. But their trip to the polls came with certain conditions - they had to be over thirty years of age and land owners. Constance Markievicz who gained 7,835 votes in a Dublin constituency and became the first woman elected MP to the Westminster Parliament. She did not take her seat in Westminster and became Minister for Labour in the First Dáil.

Before the Electoral Act of 1968-9, government elections in Northern Ireland allowed owners of businesses to cast more than one vote. This ensured the Unionists controlled the 6 counties and ultimately led to the Civil Rights campaign and one of the key demands of ‘One man, one Vote’. It was a real case of we are all equal, but some are more equal than others.  African-Americans only won the right to vote through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after a lengthy campaign. The act expanded federal authority over states to ensure black political participation through protection of voter registration and elections.

Unfortunately the right to vote here is taken for granted and some voters have been turned off politics by previous experiences or interactions with politicians or witnessing how successive governments disregard the electorate once they take power. Democracy in Ireland is for one day every five years, then a select few implement what they think the people want as opposed to doing the job they are elected to do which is represent the people. I believe Sinn Féin and I are different, I believe in a Participatory democracy, were the needs and views of the people are paramount.

More needs to be done to educate and show people the importance of voting and how politics affect most things in your daily life, everything from the price of a pint of milk to the cost of petrol, from the number of children in a class to the type of community you live.  On Friday May 23^rd people in Wicklow will have the privilege of voting to elect people to represent them on Wicklow County Council and also in the European Parliament.  By not voting you are ensuring that the status quo remains. That status quo is the system operated by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour. A system that have destroyed our economy resulting in high unemployment, emigration, front line services decimated, more taxes and a system with a total lack of accountability or transparency.

Sinn Fein wants to end that system to ensure people and communities in Wicklow come first. We are standing a great team of candidate’s right across the County and we have an excellent European candidate Liadh NÍ Riada. It’s important firstly to ensure you are registered to vote and you can do so by checking www.checktheregister.ie or contacting any of the Sinn Féin candidates.

If not registered you have until May 6^th to do so by filling out a RFA2 form

http://www.checktheregister.ie/appforms/RFA2_English_Form.pdf

Voting will take place on Friday 23 May 2014. Polling will be between the hours of 7am and 10pm on that day.

Please remember the long and hard struggle that was fought to ensure you have the right of a vote, it only takes a few minutes to do so. Remember that if you don’t you have no right to sit at home and criticise the government for making cuts or increasing taxes or the lack of facilities in your community, you have a powerful weapon and that’s your vote, so please use it.

Wicklow County Council to hold special meeting to discuss important evidence presented at Bray firefighters inquest

A special meeting of Wicklow County Council has been called to discuss the  new evidence that has been heard at the inquest into the deaths of Bray Firefighters Brian Murray and 

Mark O'Shaughnessy. The meeting will take place this Friday 14th March at 11am.

Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady who supported the call for the meeting said "A number of Councillors have come together and called the special meeting of Wicklow County Council to discuss issues relating to the inquest into the deaths of Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy who died tackling a blaze in Bray in 2007. At the inquest on Thursday last critical new information can to light regarding a can the council and their fire consultant Michael Slatterty claim was found in the building, they claim it was the most probable cause of the two men's deaths. The Gardaí interjected at the inquest and showed pictures taken on the day of the fire that clearly show that there was no such canister present."

Brady continued "It is important that the council meeting takes place. In November of last year Michael Slattery presented his report to the council and at that stage i was very critical of it. However in my opinion that report which cost €53,777 has been totally discredited in the coroners court and answers are needed. We need to find out who moved or put the can in the sealed off building and why. The tampering or placing of evidence appeared to have happened sometime between the Gardaí leaving the premises on the 26th September 2007and the entering of the building the following day by Michael Slattery and 3 officials from the council ."   

Cllr Brady concluded"We need to see a full Garda investigation into this incident, but i will also be pushing for an independent investigation to be carried out. I will also be proposing another no confidence motion in the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy due to his mishandling of the fire service over many years. I think its important that all councillors are given the opportunity to examine their own conscious and why they voted to support the manger at the last vote in November. I believe they done so on the back of a dubious report that had been presented to them by Michael Slattery which implied that Mark and Brian where in the wrong place at the wrong time and nobody could have foreseen the explosion that happened due the the canister. This theory has now been totally discredited as it has been shown that the can wasn't present where the council and Slattery claim it was. These councillors have no choice but to vote no confidence in the County Manager and to seek a full Garda investigation into the matter."

Gardaí need to investigate if evidence was tampered with at scene of fire that killed Bray Firefighters-Brady

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady has said there needs to be a full Garda investigation to establish the facts of how a five litre tin that may have contained a flammable liquid was mysteriously found at the scene of the fire at Adelaide Villas in Bray that Killed firefighters Brian Murray and Mark O’Shaughnessy the day after the fatal fire on September 26^th 2007. The Forensic Crime Scene Investigation Unit from the Gardaí carried out a full search of the scene immediately after the fire on the 26th and no can was photographed at the locating it was subsequently found.

Speaking after leaving the inquest into the deaths of Brian and Mark which was adjourned on Thursday Councillor John Brady said “There was a dramatic turn of events on Thursday at the inquest into the deaths of Bray Firefighters Brian Murray and Mark O’Shaughnessy when evidence was shown that a can mysteriously appeared at the scene the day after the fire. The significance of this is huge as Wicklow County Council and their experts say it possibly contained a liquid and may have expanded during the blaze, creating vapours that blew off the screw top cap, causing an explosion, resulting in a fireball which incapacitated the men and led to their deaths.”

“Once the fire was extinguished on the 26^th September at about 3pm the Crime Scene Investigation Unit from the Gardaí entered the burnt out premises at Adelaide Villas and photographed the entire area. The scene was then secured and released at about 6.30pm. The following day Michael Slattery of Slattery and Associates of Dublin who was engaged by Wicklow County Council to investigate the fire entered the sealed building with Wicklow fire officials, then Chief Fire Officer, Jim Dunphy, and two senior assistant chief fire officers, Joanne O’Connor and Tadhg O’Shea. They photographed the interior of the building and the slightly singed can was mysteriously found on a pile of burnt debris, its lid lying beside it and contents label still legible.”

Brady continued “The Council and their experts have but huge emphasis on the presence of this can and Michael Slattery was paid in excess of €53,777 to draft a report which essentially shows how the can exploded causing a huge fireball and ultimately killing Brian and Mark.  At the inquest photos shown by the Gardaí that were taken on the 26^th September clearly show that there was no such can where the Council and Michael Slattery claim to have found it the following day.”

“Over the course of the inquest we have heard evidence about the manning levels in the fire service, radios not working, not enough fire tenders being dispatched, and the lack of training given to firefighters, recordings in the watch room at the fire station in Bray getting wiped from the system. However the dramatic evidence on Thursday relating to the can clearly calls into question the credibility of the Slattery report, his hypothesis on the can and its resulting effects.”

Cllr Brady concluded “The evidence clearly shows that the can mysteriously appeared sometime between 6.30pm on the 26^th September 2007 and the time the senior staff from Wicklow County Council and Michael Slattery photographed its presence the following day. This raises the following serious questions, who put the can there? Why did they put it there? The tampering of a crime scene is a serious offence and so too is the planting or fabrication of evidence. I believe the Gardaí must now investigate this to establish the answers to these questions and hold the person or persons responsible.”

Brady calls on Council not to co-operate with Gateway Scheme

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has called on Wicklow County council not to co-operate with the implementation of the new Gateway Scheme which he has described as a slave labour initiative. The scheme aims to recruit 3,000 employees for local authorities from the live register to work for their dole plus €20.

Councillor Brady said “At the March monthly meeting of Wicklow County Council I raised the Governments latest attempt to artificially reduce the unemployment figures with the implementation of what’s called the Gateway scheme. Local authorities have been decimated over the last few years by a huge reduction in numbers due to the recruitment embargo which has left many positions unfilled; it has had a devastating impact on local authorities’ ability to deliver frontline services.”

“Gateway is in effect a scheme which entails 22 months of hard labour for a measly €20 top-up. This scheme will do nothing to improve local services which are being cut due to lack of funding and a recruitment embargo. This scheme punishes people who are on the live register in many cases through no fault of their own. It would be of more benefit to those on the live register and the economy as a whole if the Minister of Social protection Joan Burton, ironically a Labour minister, directed the necessary funding into providing more sustainable employment.”

Brady continued “At the council meeting on Monday last I called on the council not to degrade the work which is done by their staff by buying in to a scheme which amounts to slave labour and for the council not to cooperate with the scheme. There is no up skilling or training for those that are selected to partake in the scheme and it won’t enhance the prospects of them getting a job at the end of the 22 months, they will simply become another statistic on the live register.”

The Sinn Fein councillor concluded “The vast majority of unemployed people want to work, but they want to work in a meaningful job. How does it benefit a college graduate who will be put to work cleaning road traffic signs or sweeping the road? What we need is a proper stimulus and jobs plan to get people back to work. Exploiting people and forcing them to work on demeaning schemes such as Gateway is wrong and it amounts to little more than slave labour.”

Brady gives cautious welcome to Oldcourt Park Road scheme

Councillor John Brady has given a cautious welcome to a plan to try address safety issues on the Oldcourt Park Road which is one of the most dangerous roads in the Bray. The plan received unanimous support at the March meeting of Bray Town Council.

The Sinn Féin councillor said "I am delighted that at long last a plan has been designed and is to be implemented to try solve safety issues on the Old Soldiers Road. The road is one of the most dangerous roads in Bray. On a daily basis motorists have to resort to mounting footpaths when cars meet and pass on the road, many doing so at high speed. This poses serious risks for the local residents and pedestrians."

Brady continued "The plan which was unanimously supported at the March meeting of Bray Town Council will see a traffic island and a chicane constructed opposite the green at Oldcourt Avenue between St. Clarie's Terrace. A 10m one-way section will be implemented. The traffic will pass through the one-way section in the direction from the Boghall Road to the Killarney Road and a new hammer head turning area will be constructed to facilitate traffic to turn and return to the Killarney Road when they meet the one-way section at St. Claire's Terrace."

Councillor Brady went onto say "I must commend the residents who have campaigned on this issue over the last 18months and also to the residents who previously tried unsuccessfully to get action. 18 months ago local concerned residents formed a committee following a public meeting i had organised in the area which was focused on trying to get a resolution to the serious traffic concerns on the road which was and continues to effect the residents. The plan i believe will address the issues the residents are experiencing, however additional traffic calming measures will be needed along the Old Soldiers Road and stringent enforcement needs to take place to ensure motorists don't enter the one-way section from the wrong direction. Red Light Enforcement Cameras which are undergoing testing in Dublin should be looked at with a view of installing them as part of the scheme. Changes to the parking arrangements for the residents of St.Claire's Terrace are also needed to ensure the cars of local residents are protected by removing them from the road side."

Cllr Brady concluded "It is planned on advertising this scheme for a four week period before the work commences and the changes are implemented. Proper signage will be critical for the success of the scheme to ensure motorists are aware of the changes. One of the many positives in relation to the scheme is that emergency vehicles will have full access to all sections of Oldcourt Park Road and Soldiers Road from both directions. The scheme will be reviewed after a six month period to establish if its working and if any adjustments are required. This plan if enforced will lead to a large reduction of the area being used as a rat run and over all i give it a cautious welcome"

Immediate action needs to be taken to address derelict A O'Smith factory following fire- O'Brien

Bray Sinn Féin representative Oliver O'Brien has called for immediate action to be taken to address the safety concerns with the derelict A O'Smith factory on the Boghall Road in Bray. He made his calls after the Fire service was called to deal with a fire in the factory on Friday afternoon.

Oliver said "The emergency services were called to the disused and now derelict A O'Smiths building on Friday

 afternoon to deal with a blaze in the premises. The factory which has been derelict now since 2005 has become a huge cause of concern in the Ballywaltrim area. Two units of the fire service along with the Gardaí were called to deal with the fire which broke out on Friday afternoon. I have been informed that the building has been used for stockpiling rubbish that's being illegally dumped and that was set on fire".

He continued "My colleague Councillor John Brady has consistently been raising the issue of A O'Smiths at council level and with the owners who have left the premises abandoned and leaving the entire community at risk. Children are regularly seen playing in the factory and on its high roof. Its also used as a drugs den and anti social behavior and illegal activity has spilled from there onto the broader community. We don't want any more deaths in the factory and the council needs to ensure they hold the owners to account in securing the premises. This building needs to be immediately entered on the Derelict Sites Register to try force the hand of the owners who are based in Galway. "

O'Brien concluded "The are demands now from the community in Ballywaltrim to have the old factory demolished and i echo those demands. Not only is the building and its grounds an eyesore its an accident waiting to happen. Not far from this site two young boys lost their lives in a derelict house, so the community in the area knows the real dangers building like this pose. Action needs to be taken before its too late".

Councillor Glynn needs to climb out of his Utopia and into the real world

Sinn Fein Councillor John Brady has sharply critised comments made by Fine Gael Councillor Mick Glynn in relation to the discovery and removal of syringes and other drug paraphernalia from a housing estate in Bray.

Speaking in reaction to Councillor Glynn’s comments the Sinn Féin Councillor said “I am astonished at the extraordinary attack on me and the constituents that contacted me in relation to the drug materials that had been discovered in their housing estate. I think this is a very stupid attempt to distract people from the serious issue of drugs and boarded up houses that I have highlighted. Unfortunately the discovery of syringes and other drug paraphernalia around the town is a regular occurrence and to stick ones head in the sand and to wish them away is irresponsible and naive. I think Mick Glynn should climb down out of his little utopia and step into the real world where these issues are a cause of huge concern. Highlighting this issue is not about giving Bray a bad name or anything like that, it’s about raising the issue as a cause of concern that’s unfortunately replicated in cities, towns and villages right across the Country and putting it on the political agenda”.

Brady continued “Unfortunately drug abuse is on the increase and many experts put this down to the economic recession and austerity policies implemented by the Fine Gael, Labour government which hit ordinary people the hardest. I would like to invite Cllr Glynn to meet some of these many people that reside in our town and to come into some of the estates that maybe he isn't too familiar with and to witness and listen to some of the real issues that exist outside his utopia”.

“I bow to Councillor Glynn’s superior knowledge of syringes and other drug materials; I have never claimed to be an expert on them, however I do know the potential risks of them lying in a housing estate. Even with lids on syringes they still pose a serious risk to the many children playing in the area where they were discovered. However there were also syringes with no lids on them along with tablets all of which were handed into the Garda station. Again maybe Councillor Glynn should have inspected the materials in the Garda station before making wild accusations”. Brady continued

Councillor Brady went on to say “Drug abuse and addiction is a real issue and unfortunately I know many people, some of them friends that I would have grown up with that have become addicted to heroin, some have managed to overcome their addictions however unfortunately some others lost their lives to it. There are many people in Bray and right across Wicklow with addictions to other drugs also such as cocaine and this is also creating difficulties that need to be addressed”.

“The extent of the current drugs crisis needs to be put back on the political agenda. Communities are now coping with an increasingly complex and chaotic drug problem that includes a mix of legal drugs, illegal drugs and alcohol. Within this mix, there are different patterns of drug use in different areas and for different age groups but there are one common thread – the enduring link between disadvantage and serious community drug problems. Councillor Glynn would be better served in dealing with the issue of the 37% reduction in the Drug Initiatives Budget between 2008 and 2014 by his political party and others. This level of cuts has also meant that actions previously agreed with Government, as part of the National Drugs Strategy are under serious threat”.

Brady said “For any public representative to attack part of their community is very sad, so Councillor Glynn’s attack on the very communities that are dealing with these problems is disgraceful especially from someone that claims to represent them. Excellent work goes on by the local Bray Drugs Task Force and the Community Addiction Teams and also within these estates. However for Councillor Glynn to say that the residents that notified me of the drug material in their area are liars and part of a pre-election stunt or some big conspiracy is bizarre, twisted and a total dismissal of the issues affecting the ordinary and real people of this town”.

He concluded by saying “I also find it astonishing that a week after the discovery the council has found the time to issue a statement raising concerns about my safety removing the syringes. I think the official’s time would be better served in responding to the concerns of the public in a timely manner and to deal with the boarded up houses, the dumping and the syringes that had been disposed of in the area then nobody would have to do it themselves”.