Disgraced Wicklow County Manager to retire in April

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has said that the retirement of the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy provides the County an opportunity to rebuild the Councils reputation and start portraying a positive image of it again. Brady has also called for an inquiry into Sheehy's controversial 14 years in Wicklow which led to him being described as the most disgraced civil servants in Ireland.

Speaking after getting the news of the County Managers retirement Councillor John Brady who had previously called on Sheehy to go as County Manager and had tabled two separate motions of no confidence in him, said "Whilst I welcome the fact that the disgraced Eddie Sheehy is to go as the Wicklow County Manger in April, it's unfortunate that he has managed to stay in office for so long, having brought Wicklow County Council into disrepute on so many occasions. It's also unfortunate that he will probably walk away with a golden handshake and a big fat pension, also the possibility of entering the retirement home for County Managers, Irish Water."

"In Sheehy's 14 years at the helm of Wicklow County council he brought the council to national prominence for all the wrong reasons. Not only were many councillors and TDs before the courts due to him, in 2007 Sheehy attempted to remove three councillors from the council and they had to go to the Supreme Court in 2010 to stop Sheehy removing them."

"There were many controversies under Sheehy's watch, however the worst came in 2007 when two firefighters died tackling a blaze in Bray. Wicklow County Council eventually pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety and was fined, however Sheehy's arrest as part of the investigation and his refusal to say that he or the Council fully cooperated with the investigation led to serious questions being asked. The Council offices were also raided by the Gardaí as part of the investigation, the first time any local authority offices were raided by police in the history of the state."

Cllr Brady continued "Eddie Sheehy had two motions of no confidence tabled against him, one in 2010 and the second in 2013. In my opinion Sheehy should have been gone from Wicklow County Council a long time ago, he has been described as the most disgraced civil servant in Ireland. I believe there should be an inquiry into his 14 years in Wicklow and how the County was managed by him."

Brady concluded by saying "Eddie Sheehy leaving gives us an ideal chance to start fresh and to rebuild the councils reputation. I look forward to working with the new County Manager once they are appointed. It's essential that they work for the betterment of the County and listens to the views of all 32 members of the Council and not just the select few in the inner sanctum."

Brady expresses outrage as elderly couple tied up as their house is burgled

The Cathlaoireach of the Municipal District of Bray, John Brady has expressed total outrage and horror at a burglary in the town were an elderly couple in their 80s were tied up and robbed in their home in Bray, Co Wicklow on Monday night. Three men broke into the couple’s home at Briarwood, Vevay Road in Bray at about 8.30pm.

The Cathlaoireach said "I am totally shocked at the horrific incident which happened on Monday evening last at about 8.30pm. Three men tied up the couple, who are in their 80s, and ransacked the house before leaving with a small quantity of jewellery. This has to be a new low and I appeal to anyone with any information to bring it to the Gardaí."

"Unfortunately burglaries are on the increase in most areas in Wicklow. In 2014 there was an increase of 8% from 838 to 905, in the Wicklow Division. Out of the three subdivisions, Baltinglass was the only one to see a decrease of 18% from 194 to 176 burglaries. In Bray there was an increase of 1% from 413 to 417, in the Wicklow subdivision there was a huge increase of 35% from 231 burglaries to 312. Unfortunately 2015 has seen the figures continue to spike" Cllr Brady went onto say.

Cllr Brady continued "Unfortunately the Garda recruitment ban that was implemented in 2009 has badly depleted the force and inevitably that has had an impact on policing in Wicklow. Thankfully recruitment has started again and there are currently 200 recruits undergoing training in Templemore. I hope that Wicklow will get a number of these new Gardaí to help try tackle the spike in burglaries that we are experiencing."

"I wish the two elderly residents who had to endure such a horrific experience a speedy recovery and I hope the culprits who carried out this horrendous burglary are apprehended and brought to justice. I encourage people to be vigilant and keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity and report it to the Gardaí." Ends

Councillor John Brady unanimously chosen as the Sinn Fein candidate for Wicklow/East Carlow in the forthcoming General Election

At a selection convention on Monday evening in the Glenview Hotel, Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady was selected unopposed to run in the forthcoming General Election for Sinn Féin in the Wicklow/East Carlow constituency.

Speaking after the convention Councillor John Brady said:

"I am delighted to have been selected as the party candidate for the forthcoming General Election for the constituency of Wicklow/East Carlow. It's a massive honour to run again for the party, in the 2011 General Election we narrowly missed out on taking a seat and I'm delighted that the party in Wicklow has unanimously chosen me to be their candidate in the forthcoming election. Wicklow needs strong and effective political representation and I hope to build on the fantastic success the party had in Wicklow at the last local elections and win a Dáil seat this time round."

"Wicklow/East Carlow has a lot to offer and has huge potential. However it is being held back by poor political representation from the Government parties and a failure of Government TDs. In 2011 four Government TDs were returned to the Dáil, in the forthcoming elections I know there will be a lot of changes and the Government parties will be held to account for their austerity policies that have hurt so many families and communities across Wicklow and East Carlow."

Brady continued "Citizens and communities across the State have suffered massively as a result of the policies implemented by the Fine Gael/Labour government. This government promised a fair recovery but has instead presided over deepening inequality and unfairness. We in Sinn Fein want to put money back into people’s pockets and we will work to create jobs for everyone. We hope to stem the tide of youth emigration and create a climate of fair work for fair pay.

"I will be a strong advocate for low and middle income workers and the unemployed. I have a track record of robustly challenging unfair Government policies and standing up for ordinary citizens. I will also champion rural development and challenge rural decline and the closure of vital services."

"Sinn Féin is committed to a fair recovery, progressive taxation, investment in public services prioritising health, housing and childcare and championing decent work and pay. We will defend public services and prioritise the delivery of social housing. We have also given a hard and fast commitment to abolish the property tax and water charges - measures that will benefit every single household across the constituency, from Arklow to Ashford and Ballyknockan to Bray" he concluded. Ends

Council to carry out safety improvements at dangerous junction following another traffic accident

The Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray, John Brady has welcomed a commitment from Wicklow County Council to improve safety at the junction between Adelaide Road and Florence Road in Bray. The junction is very dangerous and a number of serious road traffic accidents have recently taken place there, the latest on Saturday night last.

Councillor Brady said "Over the last number of months I've been raising concerns at council level about the junction between Adelaide Road and Florence Road in Bray. This follows a number of serious road traffic accidents at this location, the latest of which happened on Saturday night last when there was a two car crash at the junction, resulting in one man being hospitalised and treated for his injuries. The council has now thankfully agreed to carry out a number of improvements at the junction to improve safety".

Following discussions on Monday Councillor Brady said "Hopefully this week work is to be carried out improving the signage and road markings at this junction. I have also been given a commitment that the public lighting is also to be improved and a speed table will also be installed in the near future. I welcome that the council has acted on this issue and is addressing the dangerous junction".

Cllr Brady concluded "Only last week I raised serious concerns about this junction with the Gardaí and they shared my concerns. Unfortunately another accident has taken place over the weekend and i wish the driver a speedy recovery, but thankfully the council has committed to improving the junction and the work is to be carried out imminently". Ends

Brady welcomes plans to celebrate and remember Fran O'Toole from the Miami Showband on his 40th anniversary

The Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray Councillor John Brady has welcomed plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bray man Fran O'Toole from the Miami Showband. At Tuesdays Municipal District meeting a presentation from local man Peter Carroll who is a family friend of the O'Toole’s was given and he outlined a number of proposals to remember and pay tribute to Fran O'Toole in his home town of Bray. Fran was murdered on 31st July 1975 along with two other members of the Miami Showband.

Speaking after the council meeting the Cathaoirleach Councillor Brady said "At Tuesday’s council meeting local man Peter Carroll gave an excellent presentation on the Miami Showband and local man Fran O'Toole whose 40th anniversary takes place on 31st July. Haven spoken to Peter over the last number of months I felt his proposals were long overdue and invited him to give the presentation at the council meeting. In the late 60's and early 70's the Miami Showband were huge and described as the 'Irish Beatles' The Miami Showband massacre took place 31 July 1975, near Newry, in South Armagh, while the band was travelling home to Dublin after a gig in Banbridge, County Down."

"Unfortunately nothing has ever been done in Bray to acknowledge, pay tribute or remember Fran who was the lead singer with the band at the time of his death. The band had a massive following and played in packed out venues right across Ireland, the UK and the United States. The band united people through music both north and south of the border and gave people a glimmer of hope at a bleak time in our history. The Miami regularly played in Fran’s hometown of Bray in the Arcadia Ballroom. People would travel from far and wide and on occasions thousands would have to be turned away as the Arcadia was packed to capacity.”

Cllr Brady continued “There are a number of plans been worked on by Peter Carroll with the support of the O'Toole family and many of Fran’s showband friends and colleagues. There was broad agreement at the meeting from all the members for the need to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Fran, these plans are to be progressed by Peter and the council has pledged to financially support some of the proposals.”

Brady continued “People right across Ireland were shocked at the murder of Fran and his colleagues Brian McCoy and Tony Geraghty. Bray came to a complete stand still for his funeral, which people say was the largest ever to be held in the town. It’s only right that we remember Fran, his music and the legacy he left. I look forward to the events that are been planned and will continue to work with Peter to ensure they are successful as they can be.”

Wicklow County Council to establish a cross party committee to plan for the 1916 Centenary commemoration

Wicklow County Council is to establish a cross party committee to put in place plans to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 rising. The issue of commemorating 1916 was raised by Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady who questioned the funding available and what plans are in place in Wicklow for 2016. He stated Wicklow volunteers played a key role in the build up to 1916 with many participating in the fighting during Easter week. Councillor Brady's proposal of a cross party 1916 committee was unanimously agreed to.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Brady said "Wicklow played a key role in the build up to 1916 and a number of volunteers from Wicklow actively participated in the fighting during Easter week when the Republic was declared. There is less that eleven months now before 2016 comes and the centenary commemoration events start. At the meeting on Monday i stated that it was important that every County across Ireland puts in place detailed plans to commemorate 1916, the men and women who set about declaring the Republic and that Wicklow should be no different."

"In January the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys announced that €1 million was being made available to local authorities for commemorative events in the state. At the meeting i stated that Wicklow needs to put in place a programme of events to commemorate the men and women of 1916 and that key to this would be education as to the true meaning of the Republic that was declared. Wicklow could get up to €32,000 in funding so its vital to get working on a programme of events straight away. I proposed at the meeting that a cross party 1916 committee be established to engage the public and put in place a programme that is dignified, respectful and educational."

Cllr Brady concluded "It was unanimously agreed that the cross party committee would be established and i look forward to its establishment and participating in it to ensure that the memory and legacy of the men and women who participated in 1916 and its buildup are remembered in a dignified manner here in Wicklow."

Sinn Féin to hold protest at Irish Water closed meeting in Wicklow County Council

Wicklow Sinn Féin are to hold a protest outside Wicklow County Council on Monday 2nd February from 12noon, to coincide with Irish Water officials meeting behind closed doors with some Councillors.The six Sinn Féin County Councillors are to boycott the meetings and have urged all other Wicklow Councillors to do likewise because of Irish Waters refusal to meet in an open forum.

Speaking ahead Monday’s meeting and planned protest Cllr. Brady said "Unfortunately after numerous requests for representatives from Irish Water to attend and answer questions from Councillors at a full council meeting, they have responded by refusing to meet in a public forum, but have said they will hold a number of clinic type meetings behind closed doors with Councillors on February 2. Sinn Féin are to hold a protest outside the meeting to show our opposition to the process of secrecy that Irish Water are putting in place to meet with the democratically elected representatives of the Wicklow people".

“The Sinn Féin team of six Wicklow County Councillors have decided to boycott the meeting with Irish Water. It’s planned that councillors from the five municipal districts will be given 45 minutes per district to put questions to the officials from Irish Water on February 2, they will be held behind closed doors in secret at the council buildings. Sinn Féin will boycott the meetings and we have called on all the other councillors to do likewise”.

Cllr Brady concluded “Irish Water is toxic. It should be scrapped along with the government’s water charges. The planned meetings are an attempt to manipulate councillors into accepting an organisation that has no public credibility. In November Wicklow County Council supported and passed a Sinn Féin motion calling on the government to scrap water charges, halt water metering and to abolish Irish Water. Boycotting the private meeting on Monday will send a strong message to both the Government and Irish water that it’s not business as usual and that an alternative open process of meeting councillors will have to be put in place. We will be handing the Irish Water officials a letter outlining our objections at the protest which starts at 12noon. We are asking other councillors not to attend the meetings and for the public to attend the protest".

850 Low income families and elderly people in Bray start to feel the effects of Wicklow County Council Budget

850 low income families and elderly people in the Bray area are starting to feel the effect of the Wicklow County Council budget that was adopted by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some Independent councillors last November. In passing the budget the councillors voted to scrap the Waste Subsidy Scheme that Bray Town Council had in place. The scheme which had been in place for a number of years at a cost of €40,000 gave a subsidy to the most vulnerable in society to help cover the high costs of refuse collection.

Cllr Brady commented "Over the last couple of weeks I've been inundated by constituents contacting me about the Waste Subsidy Scheme that Bray Town Council had in place since the privatisation of the domestic refuse collection service in Wicklow. Many were very upset after being informed by the Municipal District in Bray that the scheme has now been abolished due to the passing of the County Council budget by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some Independents."

"The Waste Subsidy Scheme was put in place after the privatisation of the refuse service to help some of the most vulnerable in society to pay for the collection of their refuse. This scheme is needed now more than ever due to the exorbitant charges for the collection of refuse by the private operators. Unfortunately with the passing of the budget in Wicklow this scheme has now been stopped and many elderly and vulnerable people now find themselves in situations were they simply cant afford to put their bins out for collection."

Cllr Brady went onto say "This is just another cut that will hurt the most vulnerable in our society, these people are already struggling to cope due to Water Charges and the Property Tax which have been introduced by Fine Gael and Labour and supported by Fianna Fáil. People are getting hit at a national level and also at a local level and it exposes the myth of a recovery wide open. There is no recovery for the most vulnerable in our society and this latest cut is further evidence of that." Ends

Wicklow patients are suffering due to the Government generated Health Crisis

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady raised the issue of the crisis in the Health Service during a suspension of standing orders which he requested at this week’s County Council meeting. Last week seen 601 patients lying on hospital trolleys, many of whom are from Wicklow whilst the Health Service catering for Wicklow residents continues to be downgraded.

Speaking after the meeting the Sinn Féin Councillor said "After being contacted by Wicklow residents who had loved ones lying on trolleys in St Vincent's and Nass General Hospitals last week, I felt it was important to raise the current national emergency facing Irish hospitals at council level so action could be taken. Last week 601 patients were lying on trolleys, the largest ever recorded figure. Fine Gael and Labour had promised to bring this practice to an end. James Reilly as Minister for Health in 2013 said that never again would the country see more than 569 people waiting on trolleys in a single day. The sad reality is that this government seem to treat hospitals with the same disdain as they've treated all other vital services and funding that they've slashed as part of their austerity drive”.

Councillor Brady continued “Unfortunately Wicklow has been served appallingly by successive governments when it comes to the provision of vital health services. Unlike many other Counties we never had our own County Hospital, so we essentially have had to rely on neighboring counties. What services we did have in the County have been eroded by successive Governments. Fianna Fáil and the Greens closed down Wicklow District Hospital in 2010 along with 20 beds. They also closed the Orchard Welfare home in Bray with 39 beds and St. Bridget’s ward in St. Columcilles with 23 beds”.

“Fine Gael and Labour closed down the A&E in St. Columcille’s Hospital, adding additional pressure on the already overwhelmed St. Vincent’s Hospital and we have the continued threat to Crooksling, which is in Saggart, but serves the West Wicklow area”.

Cllr Brady went onto say “At the council meeting a motion was passed calling on the Government to immediately reopen St. Bridget’s ward in St. Columcilles to alleviate some of the pressure on the health service. I've also asked for a senior official from the HSE to attend the next council meeting to give an update on the provision of health services within Wicklow and outline what progress has been made if in in relation to the promised new Wicklow District Hospital in Wicklow Town”.

“Prior to the last general election Labour candidates promised us that a new hospital would be built to replace the then recently closed Wicklow District Hospital, they claimed a site had even been identified. Labour are now unfortunately in government and now they need to deliver. There is a national crisis in the health service and patients in Wicklow are suffering, reinstating closed wards and reopening facilities they have shut down will be a starting point in ending the crisis. I await a report that’s been requested and the opportunity to questions a senior Health Service manager at the next council meeting” Concluded Cllr Brady.

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillors to boycott meeting with Irish Water

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillors are to boycott a meeting with Irish Water on February 2 and urge all other Wicklow Councillors to do likewise.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of Wicklow County Council Cllr. Brady said "Unfortunately after numerous requests for representatives from Irish Water to attend and answer questions from Councillors at a full council meeting, they have responded by refusing to meet in a public forum, but have said they will hold a number of clinic type meetings behind closed doors with Councillors on February 2”.

Cllr Brady continued “I believe that the refusal of Irish Water officials to meet the democratically elected representatives of the people of Wicklow in a public forum is not just disrespectful to the councillors, but it’s giving a two fingered salute to the public whose taxes were used to establish the monster that is Irish Water”.

“The Sinn Féin team of six Wicklow County Councillors has decided to boycott the meetings with Irish Water. It’s planned that councillors from the five municipal districts will be given 45 minutes per district to put questions to the officials from Irish Water on February 2, they will be held behind closed doors in secret at the council buildings. Sinn Féin will boycott the meetings and we have called on all the other councillors to do likewise”.

Cllr Brady concluded “Irish Water is toxic. It should be scrapped along with the government’s water charges. The planned meetings are an attempt to manipulate councillors into accepting an organisation that has no public credibility. In November Wicklow County Council supported and passed a Sinn Féin motion calling on the government to scrap water charges, halt water metering and to abolish Irish Water. Boycotting the private meetings in February will send a strong message to both the Government and Irish water that it’s not business as usual”. Ends

Eddie Sheehy needs to guarantee nobody will be evicted for non payment of water charges

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has called on the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy to give guarantees that no council tenants will face eviction if they go in rent arrears due to non payed water charges being added to council tenants rents. This follows confirmation from the County Manager that under new legislation the council may become debit collectors for Irish Water.

Speaking after raising the issue at Mondays council meeting Councillor Brady said "At Mondays council meeting I raised the issue of Wicklow County Council becoming a debit collector for Irish Water, collecting any unpaid water charges from its 4,301 tenants. I have a real concern that struggling tenants may have any unpaid charges added to their rents, possibly pushing them into arrears leading to possible evictions".

Cllr Brady continued "Irish water have said that where a customer goes into arrears for more than 12 months and a late payment has accrued they will advise local authorities that by law they must recover the outstanding amount over a 12-month period. This means that Wicklow County Council will effectively become a debit collector for Irish Water. In Wicklow there are 4,301 council tenants and many aren't in a position to pay water charges and due to their circumstances may already be in arrears with their rent".

Cllr Brady went onto say "Any attempt to add unpaid watercharges to tenants rents will only compound difficulties many are facing and could put their tenancy in jeopardy by going deeper into arrears. At the meeting the County Manager confirmed that these powers have been extended to Irish Water but no further information had been forthcoming".

Cllr Brady concluded "I told the County Manager that it would be totally wrong for Wicklow County Council to do the dirty work for Irish Water by becoming their debit collector. Local authorities should have no role in this issue and Eddie Sheehy must not let the council get embroiled in this that will ultimately damage the relationship between the council and tenants. He must give assurances now to all 4,301 householders in Wicklow who are tenants of the council that they will not face eviction due to these measures. The Sinn Fein team on the council in Wicklow will fight this all the way to stop Wicklow County Council being used by the Government and Irish Water for their dirty work".

Road safety measures needed at the 21 Bends on the Enniskerry Road

The Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray John Brady has called on the council to put in place further road safety measures on the R117 Enniskerry Road at the 21 bends. This follows a number of crashes into a newly replaced crash barrier at a lethal section of the road. The barrier is on top of a steep embankment over the Glencullen River.

The Cathaoirleach Councillor Brady said "In December a section of crash barrier was replaced at a lethal bend on the Enniskerry Road, it had been badly damaged after a car crashed into it. Since it was replaced at least another three vehicles have crashed into the barrier at the same location, serious damaging it."

Brady continued "This is a lethal section of road and unfortunately there have been a number of fatalities at this location. This is an accident blackspot and the council needs to look at further safety measures at this location. The barrier needs to be immediately replaced because of the damage to it and the fact that the Glencullen River is located on the other side of the barrier down a steep embankment."

"Additional illuminated road signage warning of an accident black spot needs to be looked at as well as the installation of an anti slip road surface at this particular section of road along the R117 other wise know as the 21 bends."

"I have previously raised this issue with the council engineer and intend on following it up until something is done to address the issue. I've also asked for a report from the Gardaí outlining details of reported accidents at this location" concluded Councillor Brady.

Arklow Fianna Fáil Councillor lets the mask slip on coalition with Fine Gael

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has stated that comments made by Arklow Fianna Fáil County Councillor Pat Fitzgerald regarding going into coalition with Fine Gael after the next election are the reason the electorate don't trust most politicians. His comments are also further evidence that there is no difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and they should stop trying to fool people and merge.

Councillor Brady said "I was surprised but not shocked when I heard the comments from Arklow Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Fitzgerald when he let the mask slip and stated that if the figures stacked up after the next election he believes Fianna Fáil will enter a coalition with Fine Gael and form a Government. His comments certainly call into question the sincerity of statements made by Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin who said that option out was ruled out."

Brady continued "It reminds me of the comments Labour TD Pat Rabbitte made when questioned about promises Labour had made prior to the last election and subsequently broken he said 'Isn't that what you tend to do during an election."

"Fine Gael along with the Labour Party in Government have introduced many austerity polices that have hammered ordinary families. Many of the policies such as water charges were designed by Fianna Fáil, so it comes as no surprise to me that Fianna Fáil Councillors such as Pat Fitzgerald would see Fine Gael as a party they could prop up in Government and enter a coalition with, as in essence they are two sides of the one coin."

Councillor Brady went onto say "We need honesty in politics, not doing and saying things simply to get into power. Councillor Fitzgerald's comments give us a glimpse at how the establishment parties view the electorate and elections. This however doesn't come as a surprise because here in Wicklow Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have for many years carved up control of Wicklow County Council and continuously support each other's policies and budgets."

Cllr Brady concluded "There are no political or policy differences between the conservative parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael either at a local or national level. They should stop trying to fool the electorate and merge." Ends

Wicklow County Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to provide the funding to establish a Full-time fire service in Bray

Wicklow County Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to provide the funding to establish a Full-time fire service in Bray. The motion was put forward by Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady at Monday's council meeting where a report on the provision of a Full-time fire service was presented by the Wicklow Chief Fire Officer.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Brady said "At Mondays meeting a report was given to the council outlining issues relating to the provision of a Full-time fire service in Bray and North Wicklow. I have always believed there is a l need for a Full-time service in Bray and that is backed up by the unfortunate number of fatalities the community of a Bray has experienced due to fires, many of which I believe could have been saved if we had a Full- time service. A lack of funding has always been one of the biggest issues in implementing this service. At the meeting I put forward a motion calling on the Government to give financial assistance to the council to enable it to provide a Full-time service, thankfully this was unanimously supported".

Cllr Brady continued "Unfortunately the report that was presented to the council was in my opinion a flawed one as it didn't take into account all the risks within the town and therefore given a risk designation which is lower than it should be. The large number of nursing homes located within Bray appears to have been overlooked as a risk. The report also failed to take into account the planned expansion of the town with the development of up to 7500 housing units proposed on the Old Fassaroe lands and planning granted for 1200 units on the Old Bray Golf Club lands. The increase in population would greatly increase the risks within the town and the report is not future proofed. If these factors were included it would strengthen the case to the Government for funding".

Brady continued "I've been consistent in my view that the best way to provide a full time service in Bray would be the creation of a National Fire Authority, which was one of the key recommendations in a report carried out in 2002 by Farrell Grant Sparks. This would see the operation and funding of the fire service removed from local authorities and resources deployed on a risk basis. In the report presented to the council on Monday the cost of providing the service in Bray would be €3,350,000 for two full time crews".

The Sinn Fèin councillor and long-time campaigner for improvements in the fire service went onto say "There is no way Wicklow County Council can find €3,350,000 from within its current level of funding without cutting services to other frontline services. In 2007 after the deaths of Bray Firefighters Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy the Labour Party brought forward a motion in the Dáil calling on the then Fianna Fáil/Green Government to establish a National Fire Authority and to fund a Full-time fire service in Bray. Indeed the then Wicklow Labour TD Liz McManus said it would be simply impossible for the local authority to take on the level of funding required to fund a full time service from within its own resources".

Cllr Brady concluded "Unfortunately not much has changed within the fire service since the deaths of Brian and Mark in 2007, calls are still being vetted to reduce the number of callouts to try weaken the argument for a full time service. We have a flawed report again trying to dilute the case for a better service. However what has changed is the fact that the Labour Party is now in Government and the Minister for the Environment is a Labour one,
Alan Kelly. The motion that I put forward and supported unanimously by the council calls on the Government to now step forward and provide grant assistance to provide a Full-time service in Bray, something they were calling for in 2007. It was felt we needed a full time service in 1984 when the Bray fire station was built to house one, 30 years later with a substantially increased population and it due to increase by at least 10,00 in the next few years, we need that service more than ever".

Tenants may face eviction if Wicklow County Council becomes Debit Collector for Irish Water

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has called on the Wicklow County Manager Eddie Sheehy to give guarantees that no council tenants will face eviction if they go in rent arrears due to non-paid water charges being added to council tenant’s rents. This follows confirmation from the County Manager that under new legislation the council may become debit collectors for Irish Water. Speaking after raising the issue at Monday’s council meeting Councillor Brady said "At Monday’s council meeting I raised the issue of Wicklow County Council becoming a debit collector for Irish Water, collecting any unpaid water charges from its 4,301 tenants. I have a real concern that struggling tenants may have any unpaid charges added to their rents, possibly pushing them into arrears leading to possible evictions". Cllr Brady continued "Irish water have said that where a customer goes into arrears for more than 12 months and a late payment has accrued they will advise local authorities that by law they must recover the outstanding amount over a 12-month period. This means that Wicklow County Council will effectively become a debit collector for Irish Water. In Wicklow there are 4,301council tenants and many aren't in a position to pay water charges and due to their circumstances may already be in arrears with their rent". Cllr Brady went onto say "Any attempt to add unpaid water charges to tenant’s rents will only compound difficulties many are facing and could put their tenancy in jeopardy by going deeper into arrears. At the meeting the County Manager confirmed that these powers have been extended to Irish Water but no further information had been forthcoming". Cllr Brady concluded "I told the County Manager that it would be totally wrong for Wicklow County Council to do the dirty work for Irish Water by becoming their debit collector. Local authorities should have no role in this issue and Eddie Sheehy must not let the council get embroiled in this that will ultimately damage the relationship between the council and tenants. He must give assurances now to all 4,301 householders in Wicklow who are tenants of the council that they will not face eviction due to these measures. The Sinn Fein team on the council in Wicklow will fight this all the way to stop Wicklow County Council being used by the Government and Irish Water for their dirty work".

Wicklow County Council Budget 2015 is a missed opportunity-Sinn Fein

After a ten hour debate Wicklow's six Sinn Féin County Councillors voted against the County's 2015 budget saying it was a missed opportunity to make a real difference and help the citizens of the county. Instead the Councillors voted to throw €1,675,925 into a black hole in Wicklow County council.

Speaking after Mondays council meeting the Sinn Fein group leader on the council, councillor John Brady said "At Mondays budget meeting in Wicklow County Council a real opportunity to help the citizens of Wicklow was genuinely squandered by conservatives Councillors in Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some Independents. We were given an unexpected sum of money €2,675,925 from the Non Principle Private Residence Charge (NPPR). Not only did we have an opportunity to give some of that money back to some families who accidentally became landlords and got stung for the NPPR. We also had an opportunity to fill the community deficit by investing all the money in housing and other community focused projects".

Cllr Brady continued "Instead we had a conservative budget adopted by the Old Boys club of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour which sees €1,675,925 thrown into a black hole in the coffers of the council with no benefits to the people of Wicklow. The money will go to partially pay off a deficit that could have been served over a number of years."

Cllr Snell stated "Sinn Féin wanted each of the five Municipal Districts to get an equal share of the €2,675,925, this would have resulted in local projects in each area benefiting to the tune of €460,000 and the remainder going into a fund to give money back to families that may have become accidental landlords with the NPPR. We have missed a real opportunity to tackle the housing crisis and to support and deliver projects a local levels across the County".

Cllr Lawless went onto say "I'm very disappointed that not an extra euro will go into tackling homelessness in the County. This year alone we have had nearly 100 families present themselves as homeless to the council. We could have done something meaningful in trying to address this serious escalating problem. Instead Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some Independents sided with the conservative view of the County Manager Eddie Sheehy and effectively threw away over €1.6m in funding. I know many homeless families unsure of their future coming up to Christmas won't thank them for that".

The Sinn Fein Councillor in Arklow Mary McDonald was scathing in her criticism of the council "Arklow like many towns across the County has shops closing on a weekly basis, the Main St is fast becoming a ghost town. There was an opportunity in the budget to help the struggling businesses in Arklow and try encourage new ones into the town. Unfortunately all the local Councillors with the exception of myself voted to increase the commercial rates in the Arklow area, this will only serve to compound the serious problems businesses are facing".

Cllr Gerry O'Neill continued "I'm bitterly disappointed for the people I represent in West Wicklow as the majority of Councillors voted to effectively deprive the west of €460,000. We have a very small discretionary budget for the Baltinglass area of €24,000, if we had of received an extra €460,000 it would of been like winning the Lotto. The west is the forgotten part of Wicklow and both infrastructure and community have been neglected over many years, Mondays meeting where this money was thrown away will not be forgotten by the people here and the Councillors responsible have a lot of answers to give".

Cllr Oliver O'Brien concluded "At Mondays budget meeting we had an ideal opportunity to start putting the citizens of Wicklow first and centre stage and to ensure we provided the services, supports and infrastructure that have been neglected over the last 5-6 due to the austerity policies of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour. We got unexpected finances from the NPPR and it was an ideal opportunity to give something back to people and communities that are struggling to keep it together, unfortunately the council voted 19-11 to adopt a budget that really was a missed opportunity".

Water concessions are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic-Brady

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has labelled the concessions on water charges announced by the Government as the rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic by political parties that have their fingers in their ears and are not listening to the citizens.

Cllr Brady said "The government clearly hasn’t got the message yet. They say they have listened with humility to the people opposed to water charges. However if they were listening they would know that the people are demanding the scrapping of water charges and not clarity or a package to sweeten the deal. The concessions on the charges are basically a dangled carrot and a con job designed to lure people into agreeing to pay a charge that will inevitably be increased to much higher levels in years to come."

"The changes are effectively the rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic by a government with its fingers stuck in their ears. The Government have been on the ropes for the last few weeks on the issue and since 1 November they have been on a PR offensive to try and quell the unprecedented levels of protests the government has been facing. It shows that people power is working. We must continue with the protest campaign as the Government clearly are sinking on this issue."

Cllr Brady continued “We have achieved a victory forcing the Government to do a political u turn, however we need them to go one step further and abolish the water charges altogether. These concessions are due to end after 2018 and I believe people will face much higher bills at that point."

“The Government have failed to listen to the will of the people, they need to remove their fingers from their ears and listen. These changes have not quelled the anger of the people on this issue, in fact it's done the complete opposite. People now know that people power works, we now need to stand united and harness that anger and focus all our efforts on ensuring we get the maximum possible turnout in protest against water charges on December 10th to deliver home the message once and for all that water charges must be scrapped" concluded Councillor Brady. Ends

Concern expressed with planned changes to the 145 and 45a bus routes

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady has expressed concern about changes that Dublin Bus are planning on introducing to the 145 and 45a bus routes. Drivers on the routes have been informed of the changes that are due to be implemented in January. The changes in the routes will result in the ceasing the 145 route to Kilmacanogue in Ballywaltrim, however the 45a which currently stops in Ballywaltrim will be extended to Kilmacanogue.

Expressing concerns around the lack of public consultation Councillor Brady said "From January Dublin Bus are making big changes to the 145 and 45a routes that serve the North Wicklow area. It's planned to stop the 145 bus that currently goes to Kilmacanogue in Ballywaltrim at the new bus lay-by on the slip road between the Killarney Rd and the Southerncross. The 45a which currently goes from Ballywaltrim to
Dun Laoghaire will be extended to Kilmacanogue".

Cllr Brady continued “It is planned to make the changes to the 145 and 45a routes in January, however there has been no public consultation on these changes. I welcome the fact that Dublin Bus are going to continue a bus service to Kilmac, there had been serious concern that the service would be cut completely. There was a campaign organised to save the service to Kilmac and hundreds of people signed a petition and this was subsequently handed to Dublin Bus. The fact Dublin Bus are going to extend the 45a to Kilmac is a small victory in itself and shows the concerns of residents were legitimate".

Cllr Brady concluded "There are concerns however that the 45a will be a less frequent service for the people of Kilmac and that there will be no direct link now to the city centre as the 145 had provided. Students going to UCD will now need to make alternative plans. Likewise users of the 145 coming from Dublin will now only get as far as Ballywaltrim and will have to make other plans to get as far as Kilmac. I'm calling on Dublin Bus to consult with the public on these planned changes before they are implemented". Ends

Brady asks for second legal opinion on Irish Waters request for tenants information

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has called on Wicklow County Council not to hand over any council tenants information to Irish Water until a second legal opinion is sought from a barrister that specialises in Data protection. The Councillor made the request on Monday following legal advise from the councils law agent that the council had to comply with a quest from Irish Water seeking details on the councils 4000 tenants. He got a undertaking from council officials that this would be done, however they refused to give an undertaking that no information would be given while awaiting the opinion.

Speaking after Mondays council meeting Councillor Brady said "At the council meeting on 3 November the councillors were informed that Irish Water had sent a letter to the council seeking information on its 4,000 tenants. I raised serious concerns on the issue as both a councillor and a tenant of the council. I believe the request is in breech of Data Protection laws and I sought a legal opinion".

"The councils Law Agent issued his opinion which was presented to the council on Monday. He states that under Section 26 of The Water Services Act Irish Water may request a Local Authority to provide it with such information as it may reasonably require to enable it to perform it's functions as a Water Services Authority".

Cllr Brady continued "I'm not happy that the advice the Councillors have been given takes heed of Data Protection Legislation and I've asked for a second legal opinion from a barrister who specialises in this area. I believe the council or any other body can only share information they hold on an individual with their consent and I don't think the law should be any different for Irish Water. I like many others have refused to engage or correspond with Irish Water and they shouldn't be allowed to circumvent the stringent Data Protection Laws that are in place at both national and European levels".

Councillor Brady concluded "At the meeting I asked the Chief Executive Eddie Sheehy not to comply with the request from the head of Irish Water John Tierney until we got a the second legal opinion and also a response from the Data Protection Commissioner. Unfortunately Mr Sheehy would not given an undertaking on this and said he could not guarantee the information would not be sent. I find this unbelievable, there are concerns surrounding the legality of the request and I as a tenant would take it very serious if any of my details are handed over whilst awaiting the legal opinion. As a public representative I also believe Mr Sheehy would be acting in bad faith and against the expressed wishes of the elected council".  Ends

Wicklow County Council votes no confidence in Irish Water and to abolish water charges

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has expressed delight that a Sinn Fein motion tabled at Mondays special council meeting of the County Council was supported by the majority of Councillors present. The motion was a vote of no confidence in Irish Water and called for its abolishment, it further calls on the government to immediately reverse water charges and to stop the water metering process. 

Speaking after the special meeting that was called by Sinn Féin, councillor Brady said "The six Sinn Féin Councillors in Wicklow called the special meeting so that Councillors from all political parties and none could take a stand on the issue of water charges and Irish Water. The people of Wicklow and right across the State have spoken out loud and clear on this issue and their voices need to be listened too. We put forward a motion which we believed encompasses the concerns of the people of Wicklow and thankfully that motion passed by 23 votes to 6 and 3 Councillors not present".

"I had the privilege of proposing the motion which commended the people for organising and mobilizing on the issue and taking to the streets in their thousands, sending a message that couldn't be ignored. The motion also called on the government to reverse domestic water charges as it's an unfair and unjust double charge that people simply can't afford to pay. It will suck another €14million from the local economy in Wicklow, an economy that's already on its knees. The bottom line is water is a basic human right that we already pay for".

Cllr Brady continued "The people of Wicklow have no confidence in Irish Water and the motion adopted by the council is a vote of no confidence in them and calls on the Government to abolish the quango that is Irish Water. The motion further calls on the government to halt the roll out of water metering and that the €539m loan finance that was taken from the National Pension Reserve Fund be used in fixing the infrastructure that allows over 40% of all water be lost through leaking pipes".

"The final issue dealt with in the motion was a call to government to hold a constitutional referendum to retain public ownership of water services and infrastructure. This is a hugely important issue as I believe the government is currently laying the foundations of privatising the natural resource in the future".

Cllr Brady concluded "I'm delighted the motion was adopted by 23 votes to 6. However the fact that the 6 that voted against the motion are all Fine Gael Councillors show that the message hasn't hit home to them and they are ignoring the will of the citizens of Wicklow. However it is an important step in the right direction, the Sinn Féin motion is now the policy of Wicklow County Council and the four government TDs in the county need to listen to the voice of the people of Wicklow, also the County Council and this message needs to be delivered to the government in the Dáil. The people of Wicklow won't accept anything less than the total abolishment of water charges because they simply can't pay and won't pay the unjust tax". Ends


Full motion passed by Wicklow County Council by 23 votes to 6 with 3 not present


That Wicklow County Council calls on the Government to;


 - Listen to the widespread public anger that exists towards this Government and Irish Water by the Irish people, who are now rightly organising and mobilising in protest and opposition to these water charges through the Right2Water public campaign which includes activists, citizens, community groups, political parties and trade unions.

 - Immediately reverse domestic water charges which are an unfair and unjust double charge being forced on already struggling households.

- Stop the roll out of metering and redirect the €539m loan finance from the National Pension Reserve Fund towards fixing the massive leakage problems and interruption to supply.

- Hold a constitutional referendum to retain public ownership of water services and infrastructure. 

- Abolish Irish Water as it doesn't have the confidence of the Irish People or Wicklow County Council