It's time to Disable Inequality-Brady

Sinn Fein candidate for Wicklow East-Carlow Councillor John Brady has launched a stinging attack on Fine Gael and Labour claiming that promises made in the run up to the 2011 general election were nothing more than verbal gadgets invented to trap a demoralised and frustrated electorate:
“Some broken promises cut deeper and sting harder. Persons living with disabilities have been among the hardest groups hit. Over the last five years the government parties have overseen cuts to rent allowance and fuel allowance, disability allowance rates cut for over 18’s, carer’s allowance cut, telephone allowance axed, illness benefit qualifying period raised to 18, invalidity pension cut, medical cards taken off the sick the elderly and the terminally ill, mobility allowance stopped, cuts to respite hours and day care hours, €100 million euros have been cut from the drugs payment reimbursement scheme while prescription charges were introduced and increased. Incredibly, 2 million home help hours have been axed”.

Councillor Brady said the outgoing government are guilty of deceit:
“Fine Gael and Labour will argue that such cuts were necessary in order fight Fianna Fail’s economic attack on the country. But we in Sinn Fein would call on people to simply look at the numbers. In the last of the government’s long list of regressive budgets, the top twenty percent wealthiest citizens were awarded 180 million euro back in tax cuts. A bonanza that even the recipients themselves would argue they simply didn’t need. The truth is that both parties were cynically acting in an effort to protect what they see as their electoral constituency. They were using cash in an effort to try and buy-off voters. This is shameful, when we look at the cuts outlined above, it is impossible to underestimate the difference 180 million euro could have made had it been invested in essential services for those with disabilities.”

Speaking in regard to responsibilities and priorities which should occupy the minds of all political parties and independents, Councillor Brady had this to say:
“We shouldn’t even be having this discussion. One of the greatest responsibilities for any society is to ensure the safety and welfare of all citizens, but particularly those who are in some way disadvantaged, its basic humanitarianism. It should not be a political issue, people with disabilities should not have to wait until economic winds blow in a certain direction, or one particular party gets into power, or one particular individual becomes a dominant advocate. Collective responsibility when it comes to all those who are most vulnerable in our society should straddle the consciousness of every political group regardless of ideology.”

“Quite simply the issue is votes. The numbers of people affected are proportionately small. This means that right-wing parties such as Fine Gael, labour and Fianna Fail are not motivated to provide the services needed. On the other hand, those of us who push for change are accused by TD’s such as Fine Gael’s Simon Harris of ‘populism’. Essentially what Harris and others are really saying is this; giving hundreds of millions in unnecessary tax breaks to high earners is sensible economics, but providing funding for those with disabilities is a waste of resources. In other words - conservative populism is good, progressive accountability is bad.”

Councillor Brady went on to say that Sinn Fein will not make promises it cannot keep. The party has fully costed its options should it be in government and persons with disabilities are at the top of its list of priorities:
“While Fine Gael and Labour advance their plans to cut taxes by 4.5billion to benefit their higher earners, Sinn Fein have a better idea. In government Sinn Fein will increase provision for people with mental health difficulties alongside intellectual and physical disability. The party will increase Personal Assistant hours by an additional 500,000 hours each year. Increase the number of Speech and Language Therapists by 250, Occupational Therapists by 100, Physiotherapists by 100 and psychologists by 150. Increase Respite Care Services by 20%. We will Increase the budget allocation to disability service providers’ year on year and deliver a secure medical card for persons with disabilities. This is not an exhaustive list, but more importantly it is not a populist list. It is nothing more than a responsible commitment to decency, fairness and equality. In 2011 Labour said; ‘every little hurts’, they weren’t joking.”

Brady welcomes Bray Municipal District decision to allow two 1916 commemorative gardens proceed

Wicklow Sinn Féin councillor John Brady has welcomed the decision taken unanimously by the Bray Municipal District councillors to allow two 1916 Glor na Cásca gardens go ahead as part of the centenary commemorations for the 1916 Rising. It was agreed that a garden would go ahead in the Peoples Park in Bray and second will be on the public green space in the centre of Kilmacanogue, adjacent to the old cemetery.

Speaking after the unanimous decision was taken at Tuesday evening councillor Brady said “Over the last year I’ve been pushing the need to commemorate 1916 in a meaningful way in Wicklow, I believe that the Glor na Cásca project is one good way of ensuring that the community can commemorate the 1916 Rising and all those who declared and fought to defend the Republic during Easter week. At Tuesday evenings council meeting in Bray things have thankfully taken a huge leap forward as agreement was finally reached to allow two 1916 community gardens proceed on publicly owned land in the Bray Municipal District.”

“The gardens will consist of a granite proclamation, Tri-colour and flag pole as well as seven trees to represent each of the signatories of the proclamation. One of the gardens will be located in the Peoples Park in Bray and the second one will be in Kilmacanogue. The Bray garden is right across the road from St. Brigid's Tce, where a number of the Bray volunteers who fought in 1916 came from. Ordinary men and women like Steenie Mulvey, Tom Sutton, Desmond Fitzgerald, Bill Forde and Connie O’Brien to name a few who took on an Empire during Easter week 1916. They are true local heroes and are now rightfully going to be remembered for their actions in declaring the Republic 100 years ago and subsequently fighting to defend it.”

Brady went onto say “The second garden in Kilmac promises to be special as the renowned garden designer Diarmuid Gavin who lives in Kilmac is working with the community 1916 committee who are behind the initiative. The key to these gardens success is getting all the community involved, particularly children, I know the committee in Kilmacanogue is working with the school there to ensure that is the case. I want to commend everyone on the Kilmac committee for their hard work. I also want to thank all the relatives of the volunteers and the District Engineer who has worked on my proposal to move ahead with the Glor na Cásca plans and to get it to this stage. I know there are plans for at least 4 more of these gardens across the County and these should be driven by the community also.”

Burning Bondholders – Sinn Fein were Right

Sinn Fein candidate for Wicklow East Carlow Councillor John Brady has said the party’s stance on burning bondholders in the wake of the financial collapse has been shown to have been correct:

“The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) told the Government in March 2011 that €9 billion of the people's money would be saved by imposing losses on senior debt holders at Irish banks. Written evidence provided to the banking inquiry shows the NTMA had advised the government to follow this path, but this advice was inexplicably ignored.”

Councillor Brady went on to say that accusations at the time that his party were ‘economically illiterate’ have now been shown to be nothing more than juvenile taunts with no basis in fact:
“At the time, we pleaded with the government on behalf of citizens to consider burning some of the bondholders to help ward off the worst consequences of the crisis. Fine Gael and Labour ignored us in the same dismissive and arrogant fashion they ignored the NTMA. They sneered at our proposals claiming they were the stuff of fantasy. However, now it has been confirmed that we were correct all along; the government effectively through away 9 billion euro of tax payers money.”

Councillor Brady concluded by pointing out that the Irish people have suffered needlessly due to the stubbornness, arrogance and economic infirmity of this government:

“Nobody needs to be reminded of the suffering so many people have had to endure during the term of this government. Fine Gael and Labour refused to listen to the NTMA or Sinn Fein in order to save face. They could not publicly accept that they were wrong and Sinn Fein was right. As a result, the country is worse off to the tune of nine billion euro. How many homes would that build? How many extra doctors and nurses could we have employed? How many new hospital beds could have been opened and how many new jobs could have been created? If there was ever a reason to get rid of the Fine Gael/ Labour government, this should be enough to convince anyone.”

New recycling charges are final slap in the face by Fine Gael and Labour-Brady

Sinn Féin general election candidate for Wicklow/East Carlow councillor John Brady has said that the signing off on plans by the Environment Minister Alan Kelly to make people start paying for their recycling is the final slap in the face for the electorate by a government that is leaving a trail of new taxes and cuts behind as their legacy. Brady stated that these new charges will lead to less materials being recycled and an increase in illegal dumping.

Councillor Brady said “Forcing people to pay for their recycling is a final slap in the face by Fine Gael and Labour who are leaving behind a legacy of cuts and stealth taxes. Forcing people to pay to recycle their waste will only lead to less material being recycled and an increase in illegal dumping. This story was first carried in the Sunday Business Post, it’s claimed that the new charges are to be implemented by July this year, and will add up to €100 extra on refuse charges for households.”

Brady went onto say “A lot of good work has been done over the recent past to ensure people are recycling as much of their refuse as possible. People recycle to help protect the environment and as a means to keeping their waste bills down. This new stealth tax will reverse that good work and will be counterproductive as it will result in an increase in illegal dumping and less materials getting recycled, ultimately damaging the environment and inflicting additional financial pressures on already hard hit families.”

“Wicklow County Council operates a number of excellent recycling centres across the County and I fear that as a result of these new recycling charges that are being introduced, there will be an attempt to also start charging the public to use these centres. Any attempt will be fought rigorously by the Sinn Féin councillors on Wicklow County Council.”

Cllr Brady concluded by saying “These new charges by Fine Gael and Labour should come as no surprise, as they are leaving behind a legacy of stealth taxes and cuts. There is no recovery for the vast majority of ordinary citizens and this new recycling tax will ensure that ordinary families will continue to struggle for as long as they remain in government. There should be incentives for people to recycle, not taxes. This new tax will be counterproductive and will damage both the environment and ordinary families.”

Brady launches Citizens Charter for older people in Blessington.

Speaking after he launched his Party’s Citizens Charter for older people in Blessington last Thursday, Sinn Fein’s candidate for Wicklow/East Carlow Councillor John Brady has hit out at Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fail over what he describes as a legacy of neglect when it comes to the rights and welfare of the country’s older citizens:

“I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet local people and talk about the challenges facing communities like Blessington at the launch of our citizen’s charter for older people. The prospect of getting older in Ireland should not be a source of fear and anxiety. Older people who have worked all their lives contributing to Irish society should be able to to enjoy their twilight years in safety and in comfort. However, the policies adopted by successive governments have sadly pushed the needs of our older citizens behind the needs of the privileged few.”

“Under the Fine Gael/Labour coalition in particular, many older citizens have been ignored and ill-treated. While many older people have had to wave goodbye to some of their younger relatives forced to emigrate, they have also been left isolated and anxious due to the closure of rural Garda stations and post offices. They have been left stranded due to poor transport infrastructure and they have been left financially strained due to cuts in the heating allowance, the cost of prescription fees and the imposition of water and property charges. In fact, in almost every tangible area, our older citizens have had to bare a scandalously disproportionate share of the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour austerity assault”.

Councillor Brady went on to say that Sinn Fein’s citizen’s charter for older people represents a commitment to reverse the policies that have brought so much distress to our older citizens:

“How can it be the case in modern Ireland that we tolerate such neglect of our older citizens? How have we tolerated deliberate political choices which have forced so many of our older people to struggle needlessly? Sinn Féin will invest to protect the welfare of the very people our society should cherish. Sinn Fein will deliver dignity, security and equality for our older people so that all of us can live long and prosper in Ireland.”

http://www.sinnfein.ie/files/2016/CitizensCharterForOlderPeople.pdf

A vote for the Social Democrats is a vote for Fine Gael - Brady

Speaking in response to the announcement by the newly formed Social Democrats that the party would be willing to go into coalition as a minor partner with Fine Gael; Sinn Fein candidate for the upcoming election Councillor John Brady has said that the last thing the people of Wicklow/East Carlow need is another Fine Gael TD in the form of Stephen Donnelly:

“The social democrats allegedly came into being as a left leaning party claiming to offer the electorate an alternative to the current coalition. However, when they had the opportunity to align themselves with similar minded parties through the Right2Change initiative they refused. Now they are saying they will support Fine Gael in a future coalition arrangement”.

“It is absolutely clear now that Stephen Donnelly and his crew are willing to break their word before the election even takes place. Donnelly wants to support a government party who have given tax breaks to the rich, refused to invest in public services, overseen a surge in rural crime and refused to address a spiralling housing and homeless crises. In 2011 three Fine Gael TD’s were elected to this constituency, all three of them along with the Labour party TD and Stephen Donnelly himself supported the decision to reduce services at St Colmcille’s Loughlinstown; the consequences of which are now being played out in the corridors of St Vincents.”

Councillor Brady went on to suggest that Stephen Donnelly and the Social Democrats need to look up the definition of Social Democracy:
“Fine Gael have made it clear that their priority if returned to office would be to abolish the Universal Social Charge to benefit the rich; effectively reducing tax revenue by an astonishing four and a half billion euro, monies that could be used to invest in the very public services which have been battered by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour. Policies like these are the antitheses of social democracy yet Stephen Donnelly is obviously prepared to support Fine Gael on this and other issues including the continuance of Irish Water; which Donnelly has previously said should be abolished”.

“A vote for Stephen Donnelly and the Social Democrats is quite clearly now a vote for Fine Gael which threatens a return to the failed unfair and destructive policies of the last five years. The Wicklow/East Carlow constituency deserve to benefit from a fairer recovery, the last thing we need is another Fine Gael TD in the form of Stephen Donnelly.”

Brady welcomes inclusion of social clause for the construction of Coláiste Ráithín and St. Philomena Schools

Wicklow Sinn Féin general election candidate Cllr John Brady has welcomed the inclusion of a Social Clause in the contract to develop two new schools in Bray. Planning permission was finally granted for St. Philomena’s Primary School and Coláiste Ráithín by An Bord Pleanála last November. The social clause in the contract will see 10% of all jobs on the project being reserved for long term local unemployed people, another 5% of jobs will be for apprentices. It is planned that construction of the schools will commence this June and will be finished by August 2017.

Welcoming the inclusion of the social clause in the contract Cllr Brady said “I welcome the inclusion of a social clause in the contract to build St. Philomena’s Primary School and Coláiste Ráithín. This will mean that 10% of all jobs during construction must be reserved for Long Term local unemployed along with a further 5% reserved for apprentices. Sinn Féin has been calling for mandatory inclusion of social clauses in all public contracts. In 2014 we introduced the Social Clauses in Public Procurement Bill in Leinster House. The Bill attracted support from all sides of the house as well a welcome consensus on its core objectives. Construction is due to commence this June on the badly needed two schools, the project is expected to take 14 months with a completion date of August 2017”.

Cllr Brady continued “It is worth noting that Sinn Féin has successfully pursued the inclusion of social clauses in public contracts in the north. There is no reason why such an approach cannot be rolled out on an all-island basis; the Social Clauses in Public Procurement Bill which we introduced hasn’t been turned into legislation and if in Government after the election is something we will ensure will happen. Our Bill outlines how public purchasers and suppliers will be legally required to protect the vulnerable and promote other social goals and community benefits. This can be done by including social clauses in all public contracts. Social clauses are a tool for getting more value out of each public euro spent”.

Cllr Brady concluded “It is good news that we now know when construction is due to commence on the two new schools in Bray and when they will be completed. All going according to plan they should be opened for the school year commencing in September 2017. The construction of the schools will see a boost to the local economy and ensure now that with the Social Clause included in the contract as Sinn Féin has been pushing for, that local unemployed people will be employed on the project and that apprentices will be also able to learn their trade”. Ends