Wicklow County Council to review the lawn only policy in Springfield Cemetery

Wicklow County Council is to review the lawn only policy in Springfield Cemetery in Bray. The existing lawn policy which hasn't been enforced in many years has caused huge anger and concern after Bray Town Council moved last year to enforce the policy and erected sign in the cemetery informing people that if items such as flowers, ornaments and other mementos weren't removed the council would remove and dispose of them.

Speaking after Mondays Council meeting Councillor Brady said "Now that Bray Town Council has been abolished Springfield cemetery has now become the responsibility of Wicklow County Council. I raised the issue at the council meeting on Monday and stated that the issue which was poorly dealt with by Bray Town Council is still causing great concern and families who have loved ones buried in the cemetery are constantly watching and waiting for their graves to be tampered with and items removed".

"When the cemetery was first opened 1981 the policy was to have it a lawn cemetery, however this was never enforced and to try after all these years to force families to remove items is both insensitive and unacceptable. At the council meeting i asked for the policy to be looked at and a compromise to be found to allow families maintain the graves to a high standard as they have over many years. A sub committee of the council the Environment Special Policy Committee (SPC) is to take on the issue, review it and bring recommendations back to the full council".

Cllr Brady continued "I welcome this and i am hopefully that a satisfactory compromise will be found. I also put forward a resolution to the council that no attempts by the council to remove items from graves would take place whilst the review was ongoing. I am aware that officials in the Municipal District of Bray were in the process of having letters drafted to sent out to families giving them a deadline to have items removed, my resolution has now stopped that in its tracks and has given the Environment SPC time to look at the issue and report back to the full council".

Scene where Bray Firefighters lost their lives finally secured

The scene where the Bray Firefighters Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy lost their lives whilst tackling a blaze in 2007 has finally been secured. Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady and local residents have been pushing for the site to be cleaned up and secured for the last 7 years.

Speaking after a site visit the Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray John Brady said "I welcome the fact that after lengthy campaigning and pressure from myself and the community, the site of the old Haughtons factory at Adelaide Villas has now been totally cleaned up and secured".

"Pressure on Wicklow County Council resulted in them classifying the building as a dangerous structure and the owner was given one month to carry out a list of safety works or face a range of penalties. That work included clearing out the site, demolishing the two story structure on site and removing parts of the boundary walls".

Cllr Brady concluded "Thankfully that work is almost completed, unfortunately it has nearly taken 7 years for it to happen. The dangerous old 2 story building is gone, dangerous walls removed and the site has been totally cleared out. This comes as a welcome relief to the community in the area who had real concerns about the safety of the site after seeing children entering it and at how unstable the walls of the structure had become". Ends

Ballywaltrim Playground to get a major upgrade

Sinn Féin Councillor and Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray John Brady has welcomed the news that the long awaited upgrade work on the playground in Ballywaltrim will go to tender this month with a view of having the work completed over the coming months. He also stated that security and maintenance concerns also need to be addressed in tandem with the upgrade works.

Cllr Brady said "Over the last number of years I have been consistently pushing for these works to go ahead and thankfully tenders are now being drafted to allow the upgrade works commence. The plan is to go to tender during September with a view of having the work carried out by the end of the year. A lot of credit has to go to the Playground committee who have also been pushing this issue and have put in a lot of hard work to get it to this stage".

The Cathaoirleach continued "After consulting with children in the area as to what they would like to see in the upgraded playground, its hopped that a new zip line, slide, climbing frame and swings will be just a few of the new pieces of equipment that will be installed. I have also requested that equipment that is fully accessible for children with disabilities is installed also".   

"With the investment in the upgrading of the playground it very important that the security is got right. I have been given a commitment that public lighting will be installed in the playground and that the Garda CCTV camera that i campaigned for will be adjusted to ensure that it provides additional security. I have also met with the Gardaí and they have assured me that they will carry out more patrols in the area".

Cllr Brady concluded "This is a big investment in the upgrading of public amenities in the Ballywaltrim area and its good to see that children have been consulted in the process. Its important that the community takes ownership of the playground and council works with them to ensure it is maintained into the future. During the summer a large cleanup of the area was carried out by local residents, myself and my colleague Oliver O'Brien helped on out, so there is a lot of goodwill and that needs to be tapped into by the council. This is a very positive development that must be welcomed by everyone in the community, particularly the children. Ends

Brady welcomes the Reinstatement work in the Peoples Park in Bray

The Cathlaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray Councillor John Brady has welcomed the recommencement of work in the Peoples Park in Little Bray. Work in the park ground to a halt in November 2013 after SIAC withdrew from the Dargle flood protection scheme leaving the Peoples Park like a building site. The Cathlaoirleach of the new Municipal District of Bray made the reinstatement of the park one of his priorities on getting elected.

Speaking after meeting with the contractors on the site Councillor Brady said "I'm delighted that the work has started on reinstating the park. I signed the tenders for the work only last week so its good to see it progress so quickly. The work that is being carried out will include a new footpath along the new wall that runs along side the river Dargle, some landscaping and thankfully the removal of the fencing in the middle section of the park".

The Cathlaoirleach continued "I made it a priority to get the Peoples Park reinstated and I'm happy to say that's its now well under way. Unfortunately the compounds at either end of the park have to remain for the duration of the flood protection works on the Dargle, however they need to be cleaned up and i will continue to push for that to happen. The work that has commenced in the park must be seen as the starting point in the total refurbishment of the park as there is a lot more that can and should be done to make it a top class public amenity that it deserves to be". 

Cllr Brady went on to say "I am working on having a master plan done up for the Peoples Park and allowing the public have their say on what they think the park needs. I believe a food market like the one that's run in the Peoples Park in Dun Laoghaire on Sundays should be looked at as an option as well as flower beds and an upgraded band stand as a way of really making it a park for the people of Bray again".

He concluded by saying "A lot of work has been done by the engineers from the council in getting the project back on track and I'm also very pleased that we will have work recommence on the overall flood protection scheme shortly. Its critical that the people of Little Bray are fully protected from the risk of flooding, but its also important that the amenities provided for them and the people of Bray are of the highest standard". Ends

Brady Steps in to Quell Clamping Concerns in Bray

John Brady the Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray has stepped in to quell concerns in Bray that clamping is to be introduced in the town by the council. Rumors have been rife in the town over the last few weeks that Wicklow County Council was to introduce clamping throughout the town.

The Cathaoirleach John Brady said "I can safely say that the rumors that have been circulating in the town recently that clamping was to be introduced are totally untrue. These rumors have been circulating since Wicklow County Council have taken control of Bray after the abolition of the Town Council. I have been informed that a review has started by the council with a view of bringing all paid parking areas in Wicklow under the same operational policies. Currently Bray is the only town in the County to have council staff operating the paid parking. The other towns that have paid parking schemes, Greystones, Wicklow and Arklow have private contractors operating the paid parking schemes".

Brady continued "I'm totally opposed to clamping and i can assure people that as chairperson of the Bray district i will rigorously oppose clamping in the council controlled areas of the town. Unfortunately in the private car parks around the town there is clamping and I've heard many horror stories from people who have had their cars clamped in them. I do have concerns however that the control of car parking in Bray may be privatised by the County Council and i think this will be a retrograde step that should also be opposed".

"The parking wardens that are currently employed by the council in Bray do a good job and privatising this operation will have a detrimental effect on residents and shoppers alike. I believe private operators will be ruthless in their quest to meet targets and maximise profits. Under the current operation there is flexibility and an element of leeway afforded to motorists".

Brady concluded "I can assure people that clamping wont be implemented in publicly controlled areas in Bray under my watch and i will oppose the privatising of the operation of the paid parking scheme in Bray if it comes before the council".

Cathaoirleach of the Bray Municipal District condemns Peoples Park shooting

The Cathaoirleach of the Bray Municipal District John Brady has condemned the shooting that happened this evening in the Peoples Park in the Little Bray area of the town. He has also urged anyone with any information to contact the Gardaí.

Speaking after the incident the Cathaoirleach John Brady said "I totally condemn this shooting incident in which a young man was injured. The incident took place at approximately 5.30pm in a public park that was full of children out playing football and enjoying the evening".

Brady continued " I spoke to a number of locals at the scene shortly after the shooting and they are in total shock. The Peoples Park in Little Bray is a beautiful and peaceful part of the town and unfortunately this incident is going to put the town in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons".

Brady concluded "The fact this shooting happened in broad daylight in a park with hundreds of people shows that the perpetrator or perpetrators have little regard for the community of Little Bray and need to be apprehended. I urge anyone with any information or if they witnessed anything in the park to contact the Gardaí to ensure that the individuals involved are taken off the streets".

Is Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Vance the Pinocchio of Wicklow Politics

Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady has hit back at Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Vance after he made a number of false statements on local radio this week relating to the Local Property Tax and the setting of the rate for Wicklow.

Councillor Brady said "There is a saying never let the truth get in the way of a good story and Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Vance is a master at this. Councillor Vance who is very quick to remind people that he is the most experienced Councillor in Wicklow has either been caught telling blatant lies or he has shown his complete lack of knowledge on the issue of the Local Property Tax and that in fact he was bluffing his way on local radio". 

The Sinn Féin Councillor went on "The issue arose this week on local radio during a discussion about the farcical public consultation process around the setting of the rate for the Local Property Tax for 2015. The legislation allows for a 15% increase or decrease of the unjust tax, the legislation also provides for a public consultation process. That process ends on August 25th in Wicklow. Councillor Vance who maybe should be called Pinocchio claimed that as Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District of Bray i have the power to set the rate in Bray and that my buddies and i could push a 15% reduction through in Bray. Cllr Vance is completely wrong in his claim, there will be one rate set for Wicklow and that will be set by the full County Council of 32 members in September. This has been confirmed by the head of finance in Wicklow and also by the Department of Fiance officials. Fianna Fáil thankfully no longer control the council in Bray, unfortunately Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some Independent Fianna Fáil Councillors do control the County Council and ultimately they will be the ones setting the rate for the County".

"Sinn Féin have committed to abolishing the property tax if we enter Government after the next election, however at this time we are bound by legislation and the only thing we can try achieve is a reduction of the tax by the full 15% that the legislation allows for. Sinn Féin in Wicklow would like to be in a position of power to be able to reduce the unjust tax, we hold 6 seats out of 32 and we will certainly fight for it to happen. We are a party that believes in democracy and people don't want and cant afford to be carrying the burden of a few international gamblers by being forced to pay their debts. We will act on the expressed wishes of the Irish electorate, i hope Fianna Fáil also believe in democracy and act accordingly".

Cllr Brady continued "In the radio interview Cllr Vance further claimed that Sinn Féin voted for the Wicklow County Council 2014 budget and rejected the Bray Town Council one and that we are some how hypocrites. Just like the story Pinocchio this is complete fiction. The record shows clearly that Wicklow Sinn Féin voted against the budget in Wicklow County Council because the money collected from the Local Property Tax that was supposed to be spent on public services was handed over to Irish Water to install water meters. The record also shows that we voted accordingly on Bray Town Council. The interesting thing here is that the real hypocrite is Cllr Vance because he like all his Fianna Fáil buddies voted against the budget in Wicklow citing the same reasons as Sinn Féin and yet voted for the budget in Bray".

Cllr Brady concluded "The public at large are sick and tired of lies coming from politicians. Fianna Fáil over the course of the last number of years have been the party that has led to an all time low in public confidence in politicians. What we need are honest politicians that will not use fiction or lies to try tarnish the good work of others in an attempt to try get off the hook. If Fianna Fáil are a democratic party they will listen to the electorate and reduce the property tax by the 15% and not use Sinn Féin as the excuse. Fianna Fáil control Wicklow County Council with their buddies in the Old Boys club of Fine Gael and the new Independent Fianna Fáilers, they will ultimately decide what the rate of the Austerity Local Property Tax will be for Wicklow". Ends