Outrage as Bus Eireann plans to cut bus stops at Barndarrig, Jack Whites and the Beehive

Wicklow Sinn Féin General Election candidate John Brady and Arklow District Councillor Mary McDonald have expressed serious concerns about the future of the Bus Eireann service that stops at Lil Doyles, the Beehive and Jack Whites. These stops were discontinued in December 2012 after Bus Eireann revised its timetable, however after a campaign by locals the stops were reinstated in 2013. Service users have now been informed again that from 27 September the stops will only be served by one stop in each direction every day.

Speaking on the impact to the local communities Councillor Brady said “I have been contacted by many service users from the Barndarrig, Brittas Bay area’s who are incensed that their public transport is again facing the chop. Rural public services have been decimated over the last few years and locals have had to fight hard to retain the vital Bus Eireann service they have. Bus Eireann has again dealt a blow to the communities around Lil Doyles, the Beehive and Jack Whites that rely on the service to get to Arklow, Wexford or into Dublin by moving to cut their service”.

Sinn Féin Arklow District Councillor Mary McDonald said “There is real anger again in the community by the fact that no public consultation has taken place. Bus Eireann is aware of the anger that was generated in 2012 when they first attempted to remove the service. Public pressure forced them into a u turn then and the anger that exists now must be channeled into a focused campaign to retain the service”.

Cllr Brady concluded “Having one pick up in the morning at these stops and one drop off in the evening services no purpose. This will impact detrimentally on the many people who rely on this critical service. It’s simply not feasible or practical for the communities that live in these areas to have to make their way into Arklow or Wicklow Town to be able to access public transport. Sinn Féin have contacted Bus Eireann and demanded that these stops would be retained, we have also organised a petition for the community to sign and let their views be know”

Vacant Premises Incentive Scheme and other measures to be introduced by Bray Municipal District to help the retail industry

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has welcomed plans that have been developed by Bray Municipal District to help lift the retail industry in Bray and Enniskerry. The plan will see a number of measures being put in place to try helping increase footfall and attract new retailers to set up in Bray and Enniskerry.

Speaking after the council meeting Councillor Brady said “I’m delighted that a number of proactive measures have been agreed and are to be progressed to try help Bray re-establish itself as a major retail town. Bray is currently at a crossroads; unfortunately we have lost a large number of retailers in the recent past including Smyth’s. We have however attracted other retailers to establish in Bray and this has to be welcomed. What we need is a good mix of retail which will attract a higher footfall in the town which will help the many struggling retailers. The council is introducing a number of measures to try helping the retail industry, a Town Team will be set up, this will consist of key stakeholders and they will be tasked at making sure the town centre of Bray reaches its full potential”.

Brady went onto say a substantial fund has been set aside to implement a number of key measures “There is a fund in place of €100,000, there will be a number of key measures put in place. One of the main measures will be a Vacant Premises Incentive Scheme. This is being devised to try attract new retail into the District, it will offer a Grant payable to the equivalent of 50% of the Rates paid for the first year and a reduction of 25% in year two, key will be getting landlords to buy in the scheme and in tandem reduce the rents over the two year period. It’s important however to get a good mix of retail in this scheme and that it doesn’t impact on the existing retailers”.

“There will be a pilot scheme offering free parking in the towns two main car parks on Saturday’s, a public awareness campaign will be needed to promote this. At the meeting I raised the issue of traffic within the town and the need for the serious congestion that people experience getting into and out of the town to be addressed, the sequencing of the towns traffic lights needs to be looked at to ensure traffic runs smoothly and it doesn’t take 30 minutes to get from one end of the town to the other”.

Following a request from Councillor Bray an update on the Florentine Centre was also given at the meeting “I raised the status of the Florentine Centre and how that held the key to Bray’s upturn, it’s no secret that the 20 year saga has added to the town’s demise. The council purchased the 1.58 acre site in 2013 for €1.95m and have been progressing plans for its development. It’s hoped that a planning application for the site will be lodged prior to Christmas and it will consist of substantial retail space and a cinema. We need to get a major anchor tenant in the centre, it will also have a number of smaller retail space. This purpose built retail space in tandem with a badly needed cinema will bring the badly needed footfall into the town which in turn will entice further retail” explained Cllr Brady.

Cllr Brady concluded “Sitting back and doing nothing is not an option, I welcome these measures, and other measures such as Christmas in Bray and the hanging baskets which will help set the conditions to kick-start the retail industry in the Bray District. Discussions with major retailers will also continue to try entice them into the town. These measures will need to be monitored closely to ensure they are working, if they prove to be successful it could prove to be a template for other towns such as Arklow and Wicklow Town. Further discussions are due to held with some of the key stakeholders in the coming weeks”.

Brady welcomes upgrade of fire hydrants in Kilmacanogue

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady has welcomed the news from Wicklow Fire Service that upgrade work will be carried on the fire hydrants in the Carraigoona Close and Rockfield Park housing estates in Kilmacanogue.

Speaking after receiving the news the Sinn Féin Councillor said “Having been contacted by a number of residents from the Carraigoona Close and Rockfield Park housing estates who had concerns about the fire hydrants in the area. I contacted the fire service who checked all the hydrants in the area and identified a number that needed to be upgraded. Thankfully this work will be carried out in the next week or so”.

Speaking about the importance of the hydrants Brady said “There have been a number of emergency incidents in the past when tackling a blaze the fire crews have had difficulties trying to locate them and in some cases the hydrants weren’t operational. In 2006 following a blaze in Bray where a hydrant was found not to operational I forced Bray Town council to carry out an extensive survey of all hydrants in the town council area. They mapped over 700 fire hydrants, 70 need upgrading and 30 need replacing”.

“Fire hydrants are a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply, which means they don’t need back up water tankers. It’s essential that when needed they are easily found and functional. All hydrants within Wicklow need to be checked on an annual basis to ensure they are functional and that the water pressure high enough. I’m calling on the council to ensure this is done and that all hydrants are mapped and all covers are painted yellow so they are clearly identifiable”.

Brady concluded “I welcome the news that the hydrants in Kilmacanogue are going to be upgraded in the next week or so, this will also be met with relief by the residents in Carraigoona Close and Rockfield Park”. Ends

Wicklow Sinn Fein launch a series of Public Information Meetings “A Fair Recovery is Possible”

In response to the continuing imbalance in the so-called national economic recovery. Sinn Fein candidate in the upcoming General Election Councillor John Brady, sets out why he has decided to host a series of public meetings over the coming weeks

“We are constantly been assured by Fine Gael and labour that the country is on a path to economic recovery, but the hard facts on the ground clearly demonstrate that whatever kind of recovery exists; the vast majority of citizens are not seeing any of benefits”.

Councillor Brady describes how government policies are simply not delivering for hard pressed families and those on lower and middle incomes.
“Unemployment is still stubbornly high at around 10% which does not take into account the half a million (mainly young people) who have emigrated because of a lack of opportunity. The unemployment rate amongst the young is twice the national level at just above 20%. The housing crisis has spiralled out of control while the on-going chaos in the health service has seen a continued increase in the numbers of people on trolleys and waiting lists. In education, class sizes in our schools are the largest we have seen in decades while students with special needs are often deprived of access to crucial services”

Speaking in relation to tax and revenue, Councillor Brady is critical of the government’s regressive budgets;
“Simply put, the only way to invest adequately in job creation and to provide essential public services such as Health, Housing and Education is through the tax system. As it stands the Irish government takes 31% of Gross Domestic Product in taxation. Compare that to countries like Britain, France, Germany and Belgium who take between 39 and 46 percent of their GDP in tax revenue. The coalition have failed to generate the necessary revenues because they have employed a failed economic model and introduced a number of regressive budgets. The coalition have focused on cuts to spending that have adversely affected lower and middle income families while at the same time they have adopted a tax policy that disproportionately favours individuals and multinationals that enjoy higher incomes and profitability”.

Councillor Brady expresses concern that the government is ignoring warning signs in the same way Fianna Fail did just before the recent economic crash;
“The government have adopted a ‘Trickle Down’ economic model. This approach is supposed to result in delivering improvements at the top end which eventually trickle down to the benefit of all. The reality is quite different and the policy has been widely discredited. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the world’s leading economic think tank. It has declared that trickle down economic policies have had a major negative impact on economic growth; the organisation claims that only an increase in taxation on wealthier sections of society alongside more favourable tax policies directed toward the lower 40% can halt the growth in income inequality. This assessment has been backed up by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who released a report in June of this year stating that trickle down economic policies are one of the main causal factors leading to the damaging cyclical ‘boom and bust’ periods that have become a hallmark of contemporary economic society. However, the Irish Government have demonstrably ignored these warnings in the same way the previous Fianna Fail government ignored economic warnings leading to the worst economic recession in the history of the state”.

According to Councillor Brady, the situation in Wicklow reflects the situation nationally;
“Sinn Fein are not manufacturing these reports, they are conducted independently and reflect what Sinn Fein have been saying for years. Today, we are witnessing a so-called recovery benefitting a small section at the top of our society with no sign of much improvement for the vast majority on the lower and middle rungs of the economic ladder. The situation in Wicklow can be seen as a microcosm of what is happening nationwide. This year alone there has been an 18% increase in the numbers of people presenting as homeless. All over Wicklow hundreds of adults and children have nowhere to call home while hundreds more are facing the prospect of eviction. Almost 11,000 people in the county are currently out of work with little hope of employment opportunities on the horizon, while Health service facilities for Wicklow residents are virtually non-existent. Sinn Fein believes that a fair recovery is possible, one based on equality, sensible public service spending, rational revenue raising initiatives and logical redistributive policies”.

Councillor Brady finishes by inviting people to attend the various meetings taking place across the county in the coming weeks;
“These public meeting present an opportunity for us to reach out to the wider Wicklow public and allow me to explain directly what we mean by a fair recovery and how we believe it is possible to deliver. Moreover, these meeting will give me a chance to listen to the concerns of groups and individuals who are struggling in the present and worried about the future. The meetings also lend an opportunity for citizens and businesses to share their experiences in a way that can be of benefit to all. With a focus on devising initiatives that can be specifically formatted to cater for the needs of the broader Wicklow community, my hope is that these open meetings will provide a platform from which we can launch a determined effort to lobby local TD’s and the government to change their failed economic approach before it is too late”.

Dates and Venues. All meetings commence at 8pm.

Aughrim, Lawless's Hotel, Wednesday 2nd September
Baltinglass, Germaine's, Thursday 3rd September
Wicklow Town, The Grand Hotel, Friday 4th September
Bray, The Wilton Hotel, Tuesday 8th September
Roundwood, The Old School House, Wednesday 9th September
Arklow, The Arklow Bay Hotel, Thursday 10th September
Rathvilly, The Phoenix Centre, Tuesday 15th September
Blessington, St. Kevin’s Hall, Wednesday 16th September
Kilcoole, The Community Centre, Thursday 17th September
Tinahely, Murphy's Hotel, Wednesday 23rd September

Government drenched in Water Fiasco - Brady

Recent speculation that the government is considering changing the terms under which people can avail of the conservation grant by excluding all those who have not paid their water bills has brought the Irish Water debacle into the spotlight once again.

Commenting on this most recent turn of events, Sinn Fein Councillor John Brady and Wicklow candidate in the upcoming general election suggested the government has lost complete credibility on the issue.

“How many U-Turns can you make before you eventually forget what direction you actually want to travel in? On the one hand the government are insisting there are no plans to change anything while on the other hand a number of TD’s are insisting that non-compliant citizens should be denied the so called ‘conservation’ grant from next year, while the minister in charge Alan Kelly seems to change his mind on various issues on a weekly basis. At this point in time the government cannot seriously expect the public to have faith in any statements, suggestions or proposals on the future of Irish Water”.

Councillor Brady went on to point out just how disastrous the Irish Water project has been;
“Can anybody seriously remember a government initiative that has been such a spectacular waste of time and money? Similar to Fianna Fail’s electronic voting machine catastrophe, Irish Water has now become an expensive joke with almost a billion Euro spent and not as much as a cracked water pipe fixed. The government have failed to have Irish Water assessed ‘off balance sheet’ and failed to get even half the population to pay their bills. More worryingly the government have failed in their duty to listen to their citizens and abolish Irish Water once and for all”.

In relation to public disquiet on the issue Councillor Brady took an opportunity to remind people of the upcoming anti-water charge protest;
“The only way we can convince a stubborn and clearly obtuse government that Irish Water and water charges need to be abolished immediately is by speaking with our feet. Citizens have mobilised peacefully and respectfully on a number of occasions in an effort to communicate their objection to what is now widely regarded as a farcical and failed government policy. People will have an opportunity to have their voices heard again this month on Saturday 29th August at the next public demonstration. There are two meeting points; Heuston Station and Connolly Station Dublin at 2pm, with the March then proceeding to O’Connell Street’

Councillor Brady went on to reiterate Sinn Fein’s commitment to the abolition of Irish Water
“Sinn Fein are committed to the abolition of Irish Water and water charges. For us it is a non-negotiable position in any future government formation arrangement. We will stand full -square behind the many groups and individuals who will march together in an effort to force the government to finally bring an end to this unjust, unfair and wasteful experiment”.

Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour; Fantasy Coalition Scenarios, It's the elections, stupid

If the current government runs full term as Enda Kenny has declared it will, we are potentially eight months away from the next the general election, but listening to the commentary emanating from some members of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour; the public would be forgiven for thinking the election is imminent.

Commenting on some of the remarks being made, Sinn Fein candidate for Wicklow in the upcoming election Councillor John Brady said;
“The traditional parties of government have tied themselves into knots devising imaginary coalitions with chaotic commentary and contradictory positions. The missing element in all of the gossip and conjecture of course is the electorate. After decades of swapping power between themselves, they seem to have forgotten an inconvenient fact; the people are the final arbiters, they will decide who will form the next government, not self -obsessed politicians”.

Councillor Brady also referred to the level of confusion and poor communication clearly affecting the other major parties; ”Labour TD Alex White suggested that an electoral pact between Fine Gael and Labour could offer the best chance the coalition would have of returning to government. However, Mr White failed to share his views in advance with his party colleagues who quickly distanced themselves from the idea, suggesting a transfer arrangement or a statement of aims prior to the election might do the trick”.

Councillor Brady continued; “On the other side of the house Fianna Fail are in a shambles. Front benchers such as Eamonn O Cuiv and others have stated they might be prepared to do a deal that saw Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein share power, yet their party leader has ruled out such a scenario. In fact Michael Martin has already ruled out coalition with both Fine Gael and Sinn Fein, but now he suggests his party could support a minority Fine Gael led government on a case by case basis – so much for stable government. However, Fianna Fail TD Michael McGrath has recently stated that he envisages Fianna Fail could form a coalition as a junior partner but he does not come out and say exactly who with. TD Niall Collins on the other hand says Fianna Fail could not share power with Sinn Fein as we would ‘destroy the economy’. It is odd that he fails to see the Irony in this statement given his party were almost wiped out in the last election for doing just that – destroying the economy”.

Councillor Brady also responded directly to comments made by Fine Gael Wicklow TD Simon Harris; “According to Simon Harris, Sinn Fein in power would be a disaster for the country and has somehow managed to conjure up the notion that a vote for Fianna Fail is actually a vote for Sinn Fein. In this TD’s fantasy coalition arrangement apparently Sinn Fein will waste the benefits of the so-called hard won economic recovery. Many people might ask if Fine Gael’s policy of throwing away hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s money on the discredited Irish Water aberration constitutes waste, or is this failed entity a model of frugal responsibility”.

In respect to Simon Harris’ most recent comments on Gerry Adams, Councillor Brady points out what some might see as arch hypocrisy; “Simon Harris has been recently reported as saying the country is not ready for ‘terrorist Gerry Adams in cabinet’, this sort of comment is typical of Fine Gael desperate tactics as they try to cope with the fallout from an electorate anxious to punish them at the polls. What is most striking is how Harris fails to see the hypocrisy of his claims when set against the backdrop of his own ‘enjoyment’ in the commemoration of O’Donovan Rossa recently at the Pearse Museum in Rathfarnham. Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa was the architect of the first ever bombing campaign on English cities launched by Irish Republicans”.

Councillor Brady continued; “Central to Simon Harris’ argument is that Sinn Fein should not be let next or near the levers of power. This in itself is peculiar given statements by former Green party leaders Trevor Sargent and John Gormley who disclosed that Fine Gael had approached them to ‘sound out’ if Sinn Fein would support a Fine Gael led coalition after the 2007 General Election”.

Regardless of the comments, Councillor Brady is very clear as to what is driving such comments;
“The reality in all of this is pretty simple. Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour are so used to bouncing power around between themselves, they are willing to say anything to try and fool the electorate. Their confusing statements and abject failure to communicate within their respective internal party structures suggests an air of desperation has gripped the traditional parties of power”.

Councillor Brady finishes with a clear message to Simon Harris and Fine Gael; “The Irish people deserve better and have little time to be listening to self- interested politicians fumble around in the dark of their own incompetence. Simon Harris and his government should expend their energies on serving an electorate who are more concerned with back to school expenses, over- crowded hospitals, housing shortages, water bills, property taxes and rural decimation. If Simon Harris put as much effort into reviving the fortunes of his Wicklow constituents as he does attacking Sinn Fein (and fantasising about coalition scenarios) we would see an end to the rural decline occurring in his own back yard. We would see boarded up business premises in towns re-open, we would see a concerted effort to tackle the housing crisis, we would see improved transport links, we might even see a return of some of the half a million young people his party forced to emigrate in desperation over the last few years. Harris and his colleagues can fantasize all they like about future coalition possibilities but the suffering on the ground amongst the people who have borne the brunt of Fine Gael and Labour’s austerity catastrophe is real and debilitating. All parties will stand before the electorate next year and it is the people who will decide the formation of the next government. If they give Sinn Fein a mandate to form a government; that’s exactly what we will do; in-line with our policy objectives and election manifesto we will deliver a fair recovery to the benefit of all. There will be no U-turns and no broken promises. Simon Harris needs to wake up and take stock of the damage his government have done is his own constituency rather than engaging in self- obsessed and useless meanderings on where he might be after the next election and who he fantasises might be a good terrorist or a bad terrorist. The people will decide his fate, the sooner he realises this the better”. Ends

Safety to be improved on Dargle Flood Protection scheme after locals raise concerns

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has welcomed a commitment given by the Council that the Slang area along the river Dargle is to be cleaned up and new safety fencing erected. Work on the Dargle flood protection scheme is ongoing in the area; however local residents have voiced concerns regarding safety and the condition of the area.

Speaking after meeting with local residents Councillor Brady said “Essential flood protection works are ongoing along the Dargle and work is expected to continue until late 2016. Local residents have voiced serious concerns regarding safety and the condition of the Slang area which is a key gateway into Bray. Children have been seen playing on site and the security fencing is regularly fallen on the ground, blocking footpaths and leaving the site completely open”.

“I welcome the commitment that has been given that Irish Fencing is the remove the existing Herras fencing and replace it with a stronger fence. Remedial works will also take place and overgrown vegetation will also be removed”.

Cllr Brady concluded “Great progress is being made on the Dargle Flood Protection scheme, its important however that local residents can live in a clean, safe environment. I welcome the news that this work is to carried out. I would also appeal to children not to enter the Slang area as it is a construction site with heavy machinery in use”.

Brady welcomes granting of planning permission by Wicklow County Council for Colaiste Raithin and St. Philomena's Primary School.

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor John Brady has welcomed a decision by Wicklow County Council to grant planning permission to St. Philomena’s Primary School and Colaiste Raithin in Bray for new schools on the Old Bray Golf Club lands. The application for a 450 pupil two story Post Primary School for Colaiste Raithin and a 24 classroom for
St. Philomena’s Primary School along with a PE hall, playing courts, playing pitch and car parking was granted by the council after the application was lodged in February.

Welcoming the news Councillor Brady said “This is fantastic news for the two schools that have been campaigning for new schools for many years now. Permission has been granted, subject to 25 planning conditions. The schools have been included in Bundle 5 of the Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) for funding and it’s hoped that the schools will be completed in late 2016, early 2017”.

“This is a major hurdle to get over, there had been a slight set back when Dún Laoghaire turned down an application relating to access to the schools from the Dublin Road, its hoped that this can be resolved as quickly as possible”.

Cllr Brady concluded “These are excellent schools that deserve to have first class schools. I want to pay tribute to the teachers and management in both schools and to the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), in particular to Kevin Lewis, Chief Operations Officer with KWETB. Hopefully the commencement of the construction works on the schools can happen as quickly as possible”.

Wicklow Homeless Crisis Escalating – 18% increase since start of year

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady has said that the homeless crisis is in Wicklow is escalating out of control and the same focus needs to be given to Wicklow as Dublin has got prior to Christmas following the terrible death of Jonathan Corrie. This year to date there has been an 18% increase in homelessness in Wicklow, compared to the overall figure for 2014.

Cllr Brady said “The homeless crisis in Wicklow is escalating to a level never seen before and immediate action needs to be taken by the Minister with responsibility Alan Kelly. Since the start of 2015 we have seen an 18% increase in the number of homeless households so far this year in comparison to all of 2014. To date 107 families have presented as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, this is made up of 152 adults and 204 children. Separately 74 adults have presented as homeless in Wicklow.”

The Sinn Féin Councillor went on to say “There is no let-up in the number of individuals and families presenting as homeless. Difficulties with rent supplement, rising rent costs and rising house repossessions are driving the homeless crisis. The council is aware that there are another 66 families who have been given their notice to quit by their landlords. Unfortunately this is no surprise to me. Every day I am getting more and more calls from desperate people, particularly parents of young families who have been forced into emergency accommodation or trying to get emergency accommodation and see no way out. They are often people who are working or had been working recently or people on Rent Supplement who are barred from work. They have lost their rented home because rent levels have simply become too high to pay and still be able to feed and clothe their children.”

“The ongoing lack of investment in social housing means that the long term housing solutions are simply not available. The Government also need to deal with the rents crisis through rent controls and the mortgage crisis through substantive changes to the insolvency legislation.”
“We have heard a lot of tough talk from housing Minister Alan Kelly. What people need now, especially those families languishing on the homeless list, is action. I’m calling on the Minister to step up to the mark here in Wicklow, meet with all stakeholders and tackle this escalating problem” concluded Councillor Brady.

Make sure your Registered to Vote

Important information: The County Council has field workers going around to houses at the moment updating the Register of Electors. It's important that if your not in when they call to follow any instructions on the leaflets they may put through your letter box, if not you could be removed from the register and be unable to vote in the upcoming General Elections. Believe me I will need every vote I can get as I only missed out on becoming a TD for Wicklow by 112 votes the last time.

To verify whether or not you are registered to vote you may inspect the Register of Electors at your Local Authority Offices, Garda Stations, Post Offices and Libraries.
You can check the register here:
http://www.wicklow.ie/eReg?CID=16&uiLang=en-GB

The necessary forms to get registered can be found here:
http://www.wicklow.ie/forms-register-electors

The Government has failed to win the support of the people for the introduction of the water tax as 57% fail to pay bill

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election Candidate John Brady has claimed that the low numbers of people who have paid their water charges proves that threats to attach the charge to people’s homes and earnings is clearly not working. He was responding to the release of figures which show that just 43% of those billed have paid.

Speaking after the figures were released by Irish Water and the Government Councillor Brady said “As the Government continue to push through the new Civil Debt (2015) Bill that would allow Irish Water to take court proceedings in order to make attachments and to dip into people’s wages and social welfare payments. It was clearly hoped that that would induce a large number of people to pay the bills they had received.”

“That threat has failed, and many people do not regard the legislative changes as sufficient to force them to comply. It is also the case that more and more people are of the belief that the next general election will lead to the defeat of the government, the abolition of water charges, and a restructuring of the water services to repair the damage done by Irish Water.”

Cllr Brady continued “"Fine Gael and the Labour Party must finally acknowledge that the Government’s efforts to bribe, coerce and intimidate families into complying with the Water Tax have failed, and that they now need to go back to the drawing board and to scrap this charge."

“The way the Government has introduced the Water Tax and is pushing through punitive legislation to take the money from people’s pockets contrasts starkly with how this Government has dealt with elites who have taken advantage of tax avoidance schemes. It is a vicious attack on people with low and middle incomes.”

The Sinn Féin Councillor concluded “The Government has failed to win the support of the people for the introduction of the water tax. And they’ve done this against a back drop of endless austerity where they and their cronies have stuck their hands in the pockets of working people. 57% of those due to pay have not paid and will not pay. More of them cannot pay, I’m proud to stand with the 57% who have not paid and I won’t pay. I’m also proud to be a member of the Right2Water group and I look forward to the next National mobilisation in Dublin on the 29th August.”

Staffing levels in Wicklow County Council having a detrimental impact on services

Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate John Brady has expressed serious concerns regarding staffing levels in Wicklow County Council. He expressed the concerns due to a reduction of opening hours of public libraries in Greystones and Bray and the fact that the council office in Arklow had to stay closed to the public last week due to staff levels. Bray also has no Litter Warden and only one traffic warden due to retirements and the positions remains unfilled.

Cllr Brady said “I believe the staffing levels of the Local Authorities in Wicklow have reached an all time low and its now having a serious impact on the level of service to the public. Last week the Municipal District office in Arklow remained closed due to a shortage of staff. The public libraries in Ballywaltrim and Greystones are facing cuts to their opening hours and the Local study Service in Ballywaltrim library is to remain closed until October. Bray also has no Litter Warden as a result of a retirement and only one Traffic Warden”.

“The Public Service recruitment embargo which was introduced by Fianna Fáil has left local authorities staffing levels at a dangerous low. People have had Property Taxes stopped from them under the pretense of it going to provide local services. The bottom line is these services simply can’t be provided to the public who need them. There is no Litter Warden in Bray, which is crazy for the third largest town in Ireland and risks setting back all the excellent work that has been done in recent years. The council offices in Arklow had to close due to staffing levels and now at a time when libraries are needed the most the opening hours have to be reduced. It’s also taking months for housing representations by councillors in Bray to be responded to” continued Brady.

He went onto say “We have people on Job Bridge and other schemes now being employed by Fine Gael and Labour to carry out much of the outdoor work that the council outdoor staff had done before the embargo was introduced. Last year the Government announced an end to the embargo in a targeted way. Is this further depletion of local authority services is what the government consider a targeted way?”

Brady concluded “Fine Gael and Labour need to ensure the filling of critical staffing positions are filled as swiftly as possible so we don’t see any further impacts to the level of service the councils provide the public. The council staff do an excellent job in a very difficult working environment due to the cuts imposed over the last number of years. The public have been forced to pay a property tax on the basis that it funds local authorities and they demand the public services they were told would be provided”.

Wicklow Garda Division to get six new Gardaí when they graduate from Templemore

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate welcomed an announcement by Chief Superintendent Patrick Mangan that the Wicklow Garda Division is to get six new Gardaí when they graduate from Templemore at the end of July. The announcement was made at a meeting of the Wicklow Joint Policing Committee on Monday. Brady stated however that this is only a fraction of the Gardaí that are needed to tackle the rise in crime levels across Wicklow.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Brady said “Whilst I welcome the news that Wicklow is to get six new Gardaí when they graduate from Templemore at the end of July. I am very conscious however that this is only a fraction of the Gardaí that are needed to tackle serious crime such as burglaries across Wicklow which are up 29% on this time last year”.

“Fine Gael and Labour have presided over a recruitment embargo which has seen the numbers in the Gardaí significantly drop since 2008, when the embargo was first introduced by Fianna Fáil. Wicklow unfortunately didn’t receive any new Gardaí in the last batch of recruits to pass out in Templemore earlier this year, we will however receive six new Gardaí at the end of July which is a start, but realistically well below the numbers needed” continued Brady.

He went on to say “Under this Government we have seen up to 100 Garda stations close across the state, including two in Wicklow, Donard and Hollywood, so when it comes to policing in Wicklow this Government has been very poor. The only way to fight crime is to have more visible Gardaí on the ground. The recruitment of six new Gardaí for the entire Wicklow Division is welcome, but it is only a fraction of what’s needed”.

Wicklow remembers Fran O'Toole from the Miami Showband 40 years on

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate John Brady has said he is delighted that after 40 years Bray, Co. Wicklow has finally done something to remember and pay tribute to Bray man Fran O'Toole from the Miami Showband, he further said it was long overdue. Local man Peter Carroll who is a family friend of the O'Toole’s was the driving force in the campaign to remember and pay tribute to Fran O'Toole in his home town of Bray. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Miami Showband massacre.



On 31 July 1975, five members of the Miami Showband were travelling by minibus back to Dublin from a gig in Banbridge, Co Down. At the townland of Buskhill, outside of Newry, they were stopped at a bogus military checkpoint by gunmen dressed in British Army uniform, who ordered them to get out and line up by the roadside. The gunmen were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), two gunmen hid a time bomb on the minibus, but it exploded prematurely and killed them. The remaining gunmen then opened fire on the band members, killing Fran O'Toole, Brian McCoy and Tony Geraghty and wounding Des Lee and Stephen Travers. Two serving Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers and one former UDR soldier later received life sentences after having been found guilty of murder. There are still serious questions of collusion that need to be answered.



Brady said "Unfortunately nothing has ever been done in Bray to acknowledge, pay tribute or remember Fran O’Toole who was the lead singer with the Miami Showband band at the time of his murder. 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 and gave people a glimmer of hope at a difficult 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”.



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. On Saturday after a lot of planning Bray Bridge was renamed the Fran O'Toole Bridge and a plaque was unveiled at the former family home on Albert Ave, Bray. This was attended by members of Fran’s family along with Des Lee and Stephen Travers who survived the massacre 40 years ago. The day was completed by a performance by the Miami Showband in the Mermaid Theatre”.

Wicklow Labour TD Anne Ferris is like Wicklow’s own Scarlet Pimpernel – sought everywhere but nowhere to be found

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate John Brady has slammed Wicklow Labour TD Anne Ferris for trying to pass the blame for the housing crisis in Wicklow onto the housing staff in Wicklow Council and members of the Housing Special Policy Committee (SPC). He labelled her PR stunt as a cynical manoeuvre to try being relevant in Wicklow, a County that has effectively washed its hands of the Labour Party by rejecting all their candidates in the Local Elections.

Cllr Brady said “There is a housing crisis and thankfully most now acknowledge that fact. Sinn Féin and I have been speaking about this for many years now and demanding that the government change their policy of not building social housing. The crisis has however reached boiling point with families presenting as homeless to the council on an almost daily basis. The causes of the crisis are very apparent, a lack of social housing, caps to Rent Supplement and family home being repossessed by the banks. These are all issues that should and could be addressed by the government; instead we have Labour TD Anne Ferris trying to make herself relevant in the debate on the crisis on housing by trying to shift the blame onto Sinn Féin”.

Brady continued “Instead of trying to deal with the problem and trying to progress housing projects in Wicklow, Anne Ferris has chosen to attack the staff in the housing section in Wicklow for not getting projects designed fast enough and telling them to sort themselves out. I don’t expect the Labour TD to know or understand the extent of the crisis in Wicklow whilst sitting in the Ivory Tower of Leinster Hse. She is completely uninformed because Labour has lost all seats they once held on Wicklow County Council. The reality is the housing staff in Wicklow are doing an excellent job in very difficult circumstances. Families are presenting as homeless on an almost daily basis and the council simply doesn’t have the houses to give out”.

“The public service recruitment embargo that was introduced by Fianna Fáil and the Greens and subsequently presided over by the Labour Party and Fine Gael has stripped thousands of staff from local authorities and Wicklow is no different. Due to the embargo Wicklow had no architects to develop the badly needed housing schemes that the government only recently gave a limited go ahead for. Thankfully that has now been lifted and one position has been filled over the last couple of weeks and another appointment is due to be made shortly. This will allow the council develop and progress schemes and get them into the department for approval as quickly as possible”.

Brady went onto say “Last November my colleague Cllr John Snell who is the chairperson of the Housing Special Policy Committee (JPC) arranged to meet all 5 Wicklow TDs to outline the work of the SPC, unfortunately Deputy Ferris never showed up. She never showed up to a recent County Council meeting either to listen to presentations on the problems regarding housing in Wicklow. Last week councillors from Arklow and Bray arranged two separate meetings with the Wicklow TDs again the Labour TD was missing in action. Deputy Ferris is like Wicklow’s own Scarlet Pimpernel – sought everywhere but nowhere to be found. Maybe if she turned up to these important meetings she could be better informed of the serious housing crisis in Wicklow, but more importantly what needs to be done to address it”.

Cllr Brady concluded “What the 3,585 families on the housing list or the 150 adults and 125 children that presented as homeless in Wicklow don’t need is a TD trying to turn the housing crisis in Wicklow in a political football by trying to blame others for the mess that their party has created. People want and need houses and Anne Ferris needs to ensure that any blockages in the system that may be creating difficulties in developing housing in Wicklow are lifted. Sitting in an ivory tower sending out press statements won’t fool anyone; people know exactly where the blame lies for the housing crisis”.

Brady supports Wicklow single parents at Dáil protest

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate John Brady has extended solidarity to the large number of one parent families who held a protest outside the Dáil this week against planned brutal cuts by the Labour leader Joan Burton to the Lone Parent Allowance. The cuts are due to come into force on July 2nd.

Brady said “An estimated 12,000 families, including many in Wicklow, face significant cuts to their lone parent allowance of up to €86 per week. This will be the eighth cut to the lone parent allowance under this Labour and Fine Gael government. I was proud to stand with many single parents from Wicklow at the protest that was held outside the Dáil on Wednesday”.

“One family Ireland has estimated that there are 6,740 lone parent households in Wicklow of which 87% are lone mothers and 13% are lone fathers. One-parent families make up 12% of all households in Wicklow. Many of these will be affected by the cuts”.

“The impact of this, especially on children, in Bray, Greystones and Arklow and across the county will be significant. It will drive many more families into poverty.

“Lone parent families are among the most vulnerable people in our constituency. CSO figures show that 63% of lone parent families are living without basic necessities. It is estimated that at least 135,000 children are in constant poverty and living with without basic necessities.

“One parent families are also at a greater risk of homelessness. 60% of households seeking urgent housing assistance are one parent families.

“The Labour Leader Joan Burton claims that her cuts are about forcing lone parents to enter employment or education. When she announced the cuts, the Labour leader claimed that there would be affordable childcare and after school care.

“The reality is that for many parents’ childcare remains unaffordable. In addition, there are few jobs and many employers in the lower-paid sectors of the economy will not guarantee workers regular or sufficient hours.

“For many, the Burton cut will mean having to choose between putting food on the table or paying an electricity bill.” Ends

Speech i delivered at the AGM of Bray Municipal District having served my term as Cathaoirleach

The AGM of the Bray Municipal District took place on Tuesday 9th June. This seen me step down as the Cathaoirleach, having served my year. Here is the speech i gave at the meeting.

It’s hard to believe a year has gone by and that my year as Cathaoirleach of the new Bray Municipal District is coming to an end. I want to thank the members of the council for their support over the last 12 months, I’ve endeavored to be fair, respectful and open to all the members over the course of the year. I also want to thank that the staff of the council for their work under the new challenges of the reconfigured structures with the County.

It’s been a challenging and difficult year on both on a personal and political front for me and this local authority. Over the course of my term I’ve had to work alongside officials who are trying to evict my family and I from our home and that case is still before the High Court, but I’ve worked with them, putting my personal issues aside as it was my duty to the citizens of this District to work for the betterment of Bray, Enniskerry and Kilmacanogue. It’s been a politically challenging year coming to terms and getting to grips with the new Municipal District structures which I think have been a disaster and has seen a hollowing out of the local authorities and have left us with a council representing the people of Bray, Kilmacanogue and Enniskerry but with little or no powers. We have a housing section in the District, not only do we have no houses for the people we represent, we have a shortage of staff. This has made my role as a public representative very difficult and something that needs to be addressed immediately. The Department for the Environment and Local Government will be shortly holding a review of the changes and the new system and I think this council needs make a submission.

When elected as Cathaoirleach last year I said i wanted to be a champion of equality, an advocate for strong community and bearer of change. I believe with the passing of the recent referendum, we live in a more equal society, I was delighted also that Wicklow County Council supported my proposal to fly the Rainbow flag during pride week. Hopefully this District will follow suit and fly it as well.
Over the year I represented this council at many public events and was delighted to meet many community groups. I endeavored to use my term to support those groups and use this council chamber as a forum to give them a voice and a platform to showcase the excellent work they do. Whilst there are too many to mention i want to just highlight one, the Be Well Bray group, last year i helped them launch their month and invited them into the council. They are a group of young people promoting a practical and positive outlook within youth mental health, they have been chosen to represent Wicklow in the Pride of Place competition and I wish them all the best in the judging which takes place tomorrow.

Last year I stated I was going to give a proportion of my Cathaoirleach’s money back to the community, whilst i financially helped out many groups over the course of the year, i still have funds available and if any club or group has a specific plan or project I would be delighted to hear about it and try help them out financially in some way.

During my term i was delighted to ensure the refurbishment of the Ballywaltrim playground progressed and that has now been thankfully opened. I also had to privilege of opening the tenders of the Dargle Flood Protection work which have made huge progress over the last year. We also have the feasibility study into the provision of a badly needed full time fire service and I look forward to the report following the public consultation process.

Thankfully after 40 years Fran O’Toole from the Miami Show Band will finally get the recognition he deserves in Bray with the renaming of Bray Bridge after him and the erection of a plaque on his former home on Albert Ave. I was delighted to work closely with Peter Carroll on this special project and look forward to the event in early July.
We did have a little controversy during the year with the issue of the Seafront usage policy. Thankfully the excellent Summerfest will continue this year and I look forward to the committee members coming to the chamber for our next meeting.

Unfortunately the housing crisis and homelessness has gotten worse over the last year. The Government disgracefully has no plans to construct any new social housing in the District this year and only 50 in the entire County. Hopefully the proposed meeting with Minister Harris can take place as soon as possible to try address this issue. We have also had major difficulties with the provision of homeless accommodation in the town and thankfully changes are planned in the near future, however there are still serious problems in the facility in Brighton Tce. And this came to the fore again last week with a second electrical fire. We also need the issue of emergency accommodation for families addressed immediately and a huge effort needs to be placed on finding suitable accommodation for the worsening crisis facing families.

I’m currently working with a fantastic group of young people and together we want to see a skateboard park in the town. This I believe is achievable and I will continue to push and work on this project and bring this project to fruition.
Next year marks the centenary of the 1916 Rising and i hope this Municipal District plays its part in commemorating the birth of the Republic. As Cathaoirleach I achieved unanimous support in the creation of a 1916 commemorative garden (Glor Na Casca) I look forward to the development of this plan and the selection of the site for it, along with other projects that hopefully will be brought forward.

Finally i wish the incoming Cathaoirleach well in the coming year and if i can be of any assistance i will gladly help, I do hope the Cathlaoirleachs office in the council building that was removed last year is reopened for the new Cathaoirleach, the office is important for all Cathlaoirleachs to be able to carry out their function to the fullest. In representing our council in the District.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

Social Welfare reform must cherish all children equally: stop cuts to lone parent payments…

The success of the recent referendum on same-sex marriage has shown that Ireland is a changed country; welcoming a diverse range of families in the name of equality. However, lone parent families still face severe levels of poverty, inequality and discrimination. Cuts to the lone parent payment, coming in July 2015, further condone this inequality for lone parent families.

In response to the cuts, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Social Protection Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD recently launched a postcard campaign designed to reverse cuts to the Lone Parent Allowance. Cuts to these lone parent payments are due to begin on July 2nd and will negatively impact almost 12,000 families.

This campaign has been welcomed by Cllr. John Brady who pointed to the negative impact such cuts will have on the 12% of households in Wicklow that are headed by a lone parent. Cllr. Brady explained; we know from the statistics (SILC, 2013) that 23% of lone parent families live in consistent poverty. This is almost three times higher than the general population. The proposed reduction of income will further penalise the poorest children in the Irish State, 65% of who live in one-parent families”. Cllr. Brady went on to explain that “any reform of lone parent payments can only commence when there is adequate childcare and other supports available and this has not happened under this coalition Government”.

We know that Ireland has among the highest childcare costs in the OECD. For most low and middle-income households, childcare costs are a serious concern, and this is made all the more burdensome when there is only one parent trying to juggle work and care. It is time, at a national level, to really cherish all the children of the state equally and any proposed social welfare reform must give children in lone parent families the supports they need to prosper with the respect and opportunity afforded to children in other families.

Cllr Brady concluded “The Sinn Féin team of councillors on Wicklow County Council have also tabled a motion in support of one parent families and calling on the government to reverse the decision to cut the Lone Parent Allowance”. Ends

If you will be impacted by these changes or care about those who will be, support the Sinn Fein campaign or join the protest against these cuts that has been organised by Single Parents Acting for the Rights of kids (SPARK) outside Dail Eireann at 3:30pm next Wednesday June 10th.

Brady welcomes Wicklow/East Carlow Yes vote

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General Election candidate John Brady has welcomed the Yes vote in Wicklow/East Carlow for Marriage Equality.

Speaking after the count Brady said “I want to congratulate the Yes Equality Wicklow campaign for their tireless work over recent months. They brought a vibrancy and enthusiasm to this Marriage Equality Referendum that clearly won hearts and minds across Wicklow”.

Brady continued "The levels of voter registration by young people in Wicklow were unprecedented and the sight of so many of our emigrants returning home to vote was powerful. The turnout of 68.8% in Wicklow/East Carlow shows that this issue made an impact on some many people on all sides of the debate. The end result of 68.4% or 44,059 voting in favour of marriage equality is a fantastic result for Wicklow/East Carlow”.

"I also want to thank my fellow Sinn Féin members who put up posters, knocked on so many doors and delivered thousands of leaflets to homes across the county. I hope the government moves on other proposals put forward by the Constitutional Convention, such as giving citizens resident outside the state, including the North, the right to vote in presidential elections. The Constitutional Convention is a forum established by the Government comprising 100 members, including a chairperson; 29 members of the Oireachtas; four representatives of Northern Irish political parties; and 66 citizens”.

"I’m delighted Wicklow/East Carlow has added our Yes to the big Yes from the Irish people. Ireland is now the only country or state in the world that has voted for Marriage Equality. This is a massive milestone in our history and one to be built on to ensure we have equality for all”.

Film and TV production industry is vital for Wicklow any loss to Limerick will have a detrimental impact- Brady

Wicklow Sinn Féin County Councillor and General election candidate John Brady has said that everything that can be done should be done to ensure that Wicklow remains the number one County and destination for film and TV production. Brady raised the issue and concerns at a recent meeting of Wicklow County Council and said any attempt by Limerick to lure the industry there needs to be challenged at every level. He also called for a €15m infrastructure fund to be established to create additional studio space to allow the industry grow.

Speaking after the council meeting Councillor Brady said “Wicklow is synonymous with film and TV production. The National film studios opened in Ardmore in 1958 and more recently the Ashford studios opened in Ballyhenry, Ashford. Many movies and TV productions have been made in Wicklow and currently the Vikings and Penny Dreadful are being shot. After recent discussions with the CEO of Ardmore Studios it became apparent that a severe lack of studio space was hampering the growth of the sector and high profile work was being turned down as a result”.

“Recently there has been speculation that Limerick City and County Council is involved in advanced negotiations to purchase the former Dell building in Plassey Technology Park and develop in into a film studio and to lease the building to Ardmore Studios. Any attempt to lure Ardmore Studios to Limerick must be fought and I believe it’s unethical for one Local authority to try poach existing industry and business from another local authority”.

Cllr Brady continued “The film industry is very important to the Wicklow economy and provides excellent employment; any loss would have a detrimental effect. At Monday’s council meeting I proposed to invite the CEO of Ardmore Studios Siún Ní Raghallaigh to the next council meeting to discuss the plans for Ardmore Studios”.

“I also had a motion passed calling on the Government to establish a €15m infrastructural fund to support the audio-visual sector which has the potential to create 5,000 new high-skill jobs and to almost double the studio space to help compete with the UK and attract more productions”.
Brady concluded “Everything needs to be done to ensure the film and TV production industry remains in Wicklow. Wicklow County Council has a leading role to play in helping to develop the industry; any attempt to relocate to Limerick should and will be fought”. Ends



Motion passed by Wicklow County Council

“Wicklow County Council welcomes the changes to the film tax credit scheme (section 481) which will help grow substantially Ireland’s film and TV production industry. However the desired growth is hindered by the lack of sufficient studio space and facilities to enable these benefits to materialise. Furthermore this Council calls on the government to establish a €15m infrastructure fund to support the audio-visual sector which has the potential to create 5,000 new high-skill jobs and to almost double the studio space in Ireland with a minimum of 100,000 sq ft in additional studio space (which is currently 111,000 sq ft) to compete with other territories such as the UK.”