Wicklow Sinn Féin announce details of their Easter 1916 Commemorations

Wicklow Sinn Féin announce details of their Easter 1916 Commemorations.

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has announced the County Wicklow Easter commemoration will assemble at bray town hall on Easter Monday 6th April at 12pm. It will be lead by the rising phoenix republican flute band to bray Daly station and then to St. Peters cemetery in little bray. There will also be a number of wreath laying ceremonies across the county.

Giving details of the commemorations Sinn Féin Councillor and general election candidate John Brady said "This year marks the 99th anniversary of the 1916 rising. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising it is important more so than ever to honour the sacrifices Irish men and women made for the limited freedoms we enjoy today. However it is not just enough to remember them, it’s important that we rededicate ourselves to the Republic which was declared on the steps of the GPO on Easter Monday morning 1916.”

Cllr Brady continued “The commemoration will be lead by the Rising Phoenix Republican Flute Band and will proceed to Bray Daly station and a wreath will be laid in memory of Edward Daly after whom the train station was renamed in 1966 for the 50th anniversary of the Rising. Daly's battalion, stationed in the Four Courts and areas to the west and north of the centre of Dublin, saw the most intense fighting of the rising. He surrendered his battalion on 29 April. He was executed by firing squad on 4 May 1916, at the age of 25. We will then march to St. Peters Cemetery in Little Bray and wreaths will be laid on the graves of volunteers who fought in 1916 and the struggle for Irish Independence.”

“The main oration will be given by Fermanagh Republican Sean Lynch MLA. In April 1986 Lynch was seriously wounded and fellow Republican Séamus McElwaine was shot dead when the SAS opened fire on them. He was subsequently elected as an MLA in 2011.”

Cllr Brady concluded "Easter is an important time for Irish Republicans and we would ask that as many people as possible join the Wicklow Sinn Féin County Easter Commemoration. There will be wreath laying ceremonies over the course of the weekend in Kilcoole, Baltinglass, Carnew, Arklow, Tinahely, Knockananna and Wicklow Town. We would also ask that people would wear an Easter lily as a token of remembrance to all those who died for Irish freedom.”

Brady Welcomes refurbishment of Ballywaltrim Playground

The Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray, John Brady has welcomed the commencement of refurbishment and upgrade works on the playground in Ballywaltrim, Bray.

Speaking after visiting the site Councillor Bray said "After a lengthy campaign the work on refurbishing and upgrading the playground in Ballywaltrim has finally commenced. The work is due to take up to three weeks to complete at a cost of over €110,000. The equipment in the playground will be added to with top of the range new equipment which will cater for children up to 15 years old as well as children with disabilities. This is a huge investment in the Ballywaltrim area and when completed we will have a brilliant top quality playground which will be a great asset to the entire community".

Cllr Brady went onto say "I want to commend the members of the Ballywaltrim Playground committee, Stephen Fox from the council and other members of the public for keeping the pressure on the council to ensure this badly needed upgrade happened. I have been consistently pushing for an upgrade and I'm delighted that it's finally happening after a long campaign".

"A number of safety and security issues will also be addressed in conjunction with the work on replacing the equipment, this includes the installation of badly needed public lighting in the playground. Once the work is completed it will be great community asset in the Ballywaltrim area. The children of the area have been consulted about the type of equipment to be installed,so I know they will be eagerly awaiting the completion of the work" concluded Brady.

Brady urges the public to make submissions to the council on provision of a Full Time Fire Service

Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has urged members of the public and any anyone who wants a Full Time Fire Service in North Wicklow to make submissions on a report that has been drafted on the issue. The report is currently on public display and submissions need to be returned to the council before March 28th.

Councillor Brady said "The report on the provision of a Full Time Fire Service for Bray and North Wicklow was prepared by Mr. Aidan Dempsey, Wicklow Chief Fire Officer, and presented to the council in December. The report is currently on public display in the offices of Bray and Greystones Municipal District Councils and in Bray and Greystones Libraries. The closing date for submissions is Friday 28th March and I urge as many people as possible to look at the report and make submissions. The report can also be found on the County Council website, www.wicklow.ie".

Brady who has campaigned for a Full Time Fire Service continued "The report outlines issues relating to the provision of a Full-time fire service in Bray and North Wicklow. I have always believed there is a 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".

Cllr Brady continued "Unfortunately the report is 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 for funding from the Government".

"It's important that as any people as possible read this report and make submissions on it to the council before the 28th March. These submissions will help shape the report, but more importantly will help shape the response to it from both the elected councillors and government". Ends

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