Wicklow Sinn Féin announce details of their 1916 Easter commemorations

Wicklow Sinn Féin has announced details of their commemorations to mark the 96th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh will give the main oration in Arklow on Easter Saturday and Cllr. John Brady will deliver the main oration in Bray on Easter Monday.

Speaking ahead of the commemorations Cllr Brady said "As we approach the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising it is important more so than ever to honour the sacrifices Irish Men and Women made for the limited freedoms we enjoy today. However it is not just enough to remember them but its important that we re dedicate ourselves to the Republic which was declared on the steps of the GPO on Easter Monday morning1916. The Government parties of Fine Gael and Labour should over the Easter period take time out to read the proclamation of Independence, particularly the section that reads 'We declare the right the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and indefeasible'. The Government should reflect on that paragraph when they deal with the IMF and the ceding of our economic sovereignty to foreign interests, they should also bear it in mind as they force the Austerity Treaty on the Irish people on 31st May"

"This Easter we are inviting people from right across Wicklow to tie into the Easter commemorations and not just pay tribute to those who fought an empire, but to start the fight back against what is being done in our names by the government. I would also encourage people to wear an Easter lilly to remember or patriotic dead over the Easter time, Sinn Féin members will be out all over the County with them in the coming week"

Arklow, Easter Saturday 7th April, 2.45pm Pettitts supermarket Wexford Rd Arklow, to the park on Main St. Main speaker, Aengus O Snodaigh TD

Bray, Easter Monday 9th April, 12pm, Bray Town Hall to the 1798 monument in Little Bray.

Main speaker Cllr . John Brady

Wicklow County Council red tape will not get in the way of Sinn Féin motion or protest opposing the Household Charge

Sinn Féin county councillors John Brady and John Snell have sharply criticized the decision by Wicklow county council to refuse a Sinn Féin motion on the agenda of Aprils county council meeting which called on the government to reverse the Household charge, and they have labelled it as the ultimate red tape attempt to censor debate on the important issue. However the Sinn Féin councillors plan on pursuing the issue at the council meeting on Monday 2nd and the protest outside the council against the charge and in support of the motion will proceed as planned at 1pm.

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady said " Cllr Snell and i tabled a motion to the council 30 days before the council meeting which is due to take place on Monday next the 2nd of April. The motion called on the council to take a stand along with the many of thousands of people across Wicklow and oppose the unfair and unjust Household charge, the motion also demanded that the council management does not take legal action against any householders for non payment or non registration of the charge. The chairperson of the council informed myself during alive radio debate about the household charge that he was not allowing the motion on the agenda because it was not tabled 31 days before the meeting. This is the ultimate in red tape, to say that debate on such an important issue will not be held because the motion was 1 day late is a joke and smells of censorship. It is no surprise that the chairperson is a member of Fine Gael, the party which is forcing this unfair tax on the ordinary people in the state"

Cllr Snell continued " Thousands of people across Wicklow have taken a stand on this issue and simply said they will refuse to pay the tax.Because the council has refused our motion we plan on seeking a suspension of standing orders to discuss the issue at the meeting on Monday. The council meeting will take place a couple of days after the deadline of the 31st of March for payment of tax and it is very evident that there will be a mass non-payment of it in Wicklow. The council must at this stage take a stand and say to the government and Minister Phil Hogan enough is enough, the tax is not welcome, not working, not just and must go"

Cllr Brady concluded "The protest Sinn Féin has organised outside the council meeting on Monday at 1pm will proceed as planned and we fully intend on taking a stand on the the issue of the household charge and voice the genuine concerns of the ordinary people of Wicklow. I hope all councillors decide to stand with the people on this issue and support the Sinn Féin motion that we will try put forward during the suspension of standing orders. I also hope that everyone opposed to the Household charge can tie into the protest outside the county council offices in Wicklow" Ends

The full Sinn Féin motion to Wicklow county council reads:

Wicklow county council strongly opposes the Household charge and we call on the Government to immediately scrap it. It is very evident that the massive non payment of the Household tax by Wicklow residents who simply can’t afford this additional unfair tax, will add to the huge shortfall in the €160 million in funding which the Government had expected from this tax. We therefore call on the Government to look at an alternative way of funding local authorities.We also instruct Wicklow county council not to criminalise or initiate legal proceedings against people for their inability to pay or their noncompliance with the unfair and unjust Household tax.

Sinn Féin tables motion and plans protest at Wicklow County council meeting opposing the Household charge

Sinn Féin County councillors John Brady and John Snell have tabled a motion on Wicklow County council calling on the Government to immediately scrap the grossly unfair household charge. It also instructs the council not to criminalise or initiate legal proceedings against anyone for non-compliance of the tax. The motion will be debated at the County council meeting on Monday 2nd April and SinnFéin has organised a protest to take place outside the council meeting to coincide with the debate.

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady stated "“Sinn Féin has been consistent in its opposition to this unfair charge. It’s now obvious that the charge is unworkable as much as it is unjust and the level of opposition is growing on a daily basis. Not only have 85% of the population decided not to sign up so far but it now looks likely that the legislation will be unconstitutional. The household charge is grossly unfair and much of the money raised will end up paying off private debt. There are progressive revenue raising alternatives that would raise equal amounts of funds if not more. The government’s plans to introduce the household charge are in disarray and they need to withdraw it"

"Sinn Féin have tabled this motion on Wicklow county council calling on the government to scrap the tax, it is quite evident that there is mass opposition to it and rightfully so, Wicklow county council must send the government the message to go back to the drawing board and implement a fairer tax that targets the wealthy in our society" Brady continued

Cllr Snell went on to say “People see this for what it is – a bank bailout. This money will not be invested in our local authorities - it will instead be handed over to the promissory note-holders and the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank. There will be no extra benefits to any areas because of this tax, it just another means of extorting money from ordinary people who simply don't have anything left to give. The entire Sinn Féin team of public representatives in Wicklow have pledged to stand alongside the vast majority of people in Wicklow and refuse to pay the unjust tax"

Brady concluded "The government is stating that the policing of this unjust tax will come down to the local authorities and they will have to take people to court for non-compliance or non-payment of the charge. This is a crazy situation, the government introduced this very unpopular tax and then makes the local authorities do the dirty work.The Sinn Féin motion to Wicklow county council instructs the officials in the council not to criminalise or take any legal action against anyindividuals or households for either non registration or non paymentof the tax. It is very evident that this tax is not just unfair but it is totally unworkable and the government needs to immediately withdraw it. To coincide with the motion to the council, Sinn Féin has organised a protest outside the council meeting which will take place on Monday 2nd April at 1pm at the County council buildings in Wicklow town, and everyone opposed to the tax from whatever political persuasion and non are asked to try in and send a strong defiant message of opposition” Ends

The full Sinn Féin motion to Wicklow county council reads:

Wicklow county council strongly opposes the Household charge and we call on the Government to immediately scrap it. It is very evident that the massive non payment of the Household tax by Wicklow residents who simply can’t afford this additional unfair tax, will add to the huge shortfall in the €160 million in funding which the Government had expected from this tax. We therefore call on the Government to look at an alternative way of funding local authorities.We also instruct Wicklow county council not to criminalise or initiate legal proceedings against people for their inability to pay or their non compliance with the unfair and unjust Household tax.

Local Fishing Trawlers need full access to Greystones Harbour again.

Sinn Féin county councillor John Brady was welcomed the news that Sispar are to present a plan to put 56 berths in the new marina in Greystones this summer. However immediate action needs to be taken to allow the return of the local fishing trawlers that have been restricted from the harbour to allow the construction proceed.

Cllr Brady Stated " Greystones has always been a traditional fishing harbour and over the years many local families have operated commercial fishing trawlers from the harbour. However when the construction began on the new harbour the fishermen where told they would have to leave and that they would be accommodated when it was finished. The trawlers have now been out of harbour for over four years and whilst i welcome the news that the Sea Scouts, Rowers,Anglers, Sailors and Divers may possibly occupy their compounds in April and that there is a plan for 56 new berths in the marina, the fishermen seem to be totally forgotten about"

Cllr Brady continued "The trawlers that had been in the old harbour are now tying up in Dun Laoghaire harbour but still fishing off Greystones, the fuel costs alone for the 3 hour round trip in a trawler is crippling the fishermen. The first people back into the harbour should be the fishermen whose livelihoods are at risk, they where told they would be back in well before now, however unfortunately they have been completely forgotten about in the mess that is Greystones Harbour"

"Greystones has always been a fishing harbour, the local trawlers need to have access to the harbour to land their catch and to tie up, 12months of the year. The livelihoods of the fishermen should not depend on the leasing or renting of the 56 berths in the marina, they have a right to be there irrespective as to what happens to the marina. At the outset they where promised their own area with fresh water,electricity and a place to store bait etc. and this all needs to materialise" continued Brady

The Sinn Féin councillor concluded "Fishing is not a hobby for the fishermen it is their job and their livelihood, the restriction on the trawlers needs to be lifted immediately and the 3 local trawlers that fish the waters off Greystones need full and inhibited access to the harbour straight away. They have had to take a massive financial hit for over 4 years by travelling up and down to Dun Laoghaire everyday to allow the construction of the harbour proceed and they need to bethe first to be accommodated even though it may not suit everyone's agenda"

Sinn Féin councillors demand full investigation into huge landslide in Bray

Sinn Féin councillors John Brady and Rossa Murray have called for a
full investigation into a massive landslide adjacent to a development
that is taking place Brook House School on the Herbert Road in Bray.
The construction site is on the high ground which over looks the
publicly owned Rehills Land beside the river Dargle. The huge
landslide has seen hundreds of tonnes of rock and soil plough down
through a protected forest which has a tree preservation order in
place and has left the area very unstable and prone to further
landslides.

Speaking after raising the issue at the Town Council meeting in Bray
councillor Brady Said "This issue was brought to my attention by
frightened residents who felt their homes shake when the massive
landslide took place. I have visited the site and was shocked at the
scale of the landslide, a large section of the forest was literately
washed away with the landslide, hundreds of tonnes of rock and soil
gave way and ended up on the Rehills land which is down below. Its a
miracle nobody was killed on the site"

Cllr Brady continued "It appears large volumes of excavated soil from
the adjoining development which is beside Brook House School was been
dumped on top of the hill and under the weight the entire hill gave
way. The force of the landslide that ensued uprooted and and carried
large mature trees several hundred metres before being deposited on
the land below. The forest is destroyed, it is supposed to be
preserved with a tree preservation order, however that had little
effect in this case, everything in the way was swept away with the
force of the landslide"

Cllr Rossa Murray went onto say "There are a number of issues here. It
appears that there has been a blatant breech in the planning
permission that was granted for the development adjacent to the
landslide and this has caused the serious problem, this needs to be
followed up by enforcement immediately by the council. There are also
health and safety issues, the site in its current condition is not
secure and is totally unstable and the possibility of a further
landslide is real, i have reported the site to the Health and Safety
Authority such are my concerns about this development and its
condition"

Cllr Brady concluded "At the council meeting i requested a full
engineers report on this serious situation, I have also requested a
remedial plan for the area and report from the planners. It appears
that this incident was down irresponsible activities on site, this has
resulted in the destruction of a protected wooded area which has
deposited hundreds of tonnes of debris on publicly owned land. We
could have been dealing with a entirely different incident here,
thankfully nobody was injured, however there must be answers to the
questions as to how this happened and all costs removing the debris
and restoring the area must be carried by the owners of the
development"

Shock at Bray Town Councils refusal to invite Dublin Bus to Council to discuss proposed cuts to the 45

Sinn Féin councillor John Brady has expressed astonishment and
disbelief at the Bray Town Councils refusal to invite representatives
from Dublin Bus to a council meeting to discuss the proposed cuts to
the 45 bus route.

Councillor Brady said "At Tuesday nights council meeting i asked if
Dublin Bus had been invited to a council meeting to discuss the plans
to curtail the 45 bus route as it was agreed at February's council
meeting, i stated that i was concerned because it was not carried in
the minutes and asked that the situation be clarified. I was however
left gob-smacked by the response i received from the chairperson of
the council Ronan McManus who stated a letter had not been sent, nor
would one be sent to invite anyone to the council from Dublin Bus"

Cllr Brady continued "A lot of pressure has been put on Dublin Bus
because of their plans to curtail the 84 and 45 routes, a number of
public meetings have been held and a large public protest was held to
outside a Greystones Town Council meeting where Dublin Bus were giving
a presentation on the cuts. This pressure has paid off and it has
resulted in forcing Dublin Bus to hold a consultation process to see
what the public what and to hopefully create a public transport
service that truly serves the people of North Wicklow. I felt that as
a council which has been given a mandate by the people of Bray to
represent them it would only be right for the council to partake in
the consultation process and invite Dublin Bus representatives to a
full council meeting to put forward the concerns of the public we
represent"

"Inviting groups or organisations such as Dublin Bus to council
meetings is normal practise and it certainly would not have been the
first time it would have happened, in fact the last time Dublin Bus
attended a council meeting in Bray it resulted in the saving of the
185 bus route. I am astonished at the refusal by Cllr. McManus to
invite Dublin Bus to a council meeting, is he not aware of how many
people rely on the 45 route to get from Oldcourt to schools, hospitals
etc. Not every one has the luxury of driving a big fancy expensive car
like him. There are a lot of people who simply cant afford to put
petrol in their car let alone pay for tax or insurance. Ordinary
people depend on routes like the 45 and for a council to refuse to try
defend them is sad to say the least, is it any wonder people question
the relevance of Town councils" Brady continued.

Cllr Brady concluded "If Dublin Bus go ahead and and curtail the 45
Bus route Bray Town council and in-particular Cllr. Ronan McManus will
have a lot of questions to answer. Being the chairperson of a council
is more than a ribbon cutting position, its about standing up for your
town and ensuring that important issues such as this are addressed by
the council and that the mandate given by the people is used to
represent them. We all know that the proposed cuts the 45 and 84 are a
direct result of the cuts to the subsidy given to Dublin Bus by the
Government, however trying to protect the government by not even
inviting Dublin Bus to a council meeting is very sad and even sadder
for the public who use public transport. The council should be doing
everything in its power to protect and encourage the use of public
transport, however this sends out all the wrong messages"

The political Mongrel Tommy Cullen should stop waffling and oppose austerity

Letter in response to Cllr Tommy Cullen's which appeared in the Wicklow Times on 28th February. 

Dear Editor

I wish to respond to the letter penned by Cllr Tommy Cullen which was carried in your paper on Tuesday 28th February 2012. I think it’s important to set the record straight here and state some facts.

Firstly, I think Cllr Cullen should stop trying to ride two horses, is he still a member of the Labour party?- as he canvassed for the Labour party in the general elections and presidential elections last year? The party he supports is now in government and are the ones implementing the austerity policies which include the Household Charge and Septic Tank charges. I can understand why anyone would not want to be a member of the Labour party, however Cllr. Cullen must stop being a political mongrel and come clean once and for all about his membership of the Labour party.

Memories are still very fresh in West Wicklow of the antics of Tommy Cullen and the Labour Party, in 1985 when they as members of the Coalition Government introduced the service charges and insisted that people pay the unjust charges. At the end of the day Cllr Cullen has a long record of work with the Labour party so he must share collective responsible for the austerity policies Labour and Fine Gael are pursuing.

Sinn Féin is consistent in its opposition to the Household Charge and Septic Tank charges, we have opposed them nationally and locally. Sinn Féin is the only party to speak out against both charges at the Wicklow County Council budget meeting on 19th December where finance staff of the council stated that there was not one cent of the Household charge included in the budget estimates, however Cullen was not present for most of the meeting so he would not be aware of that fact. There has been no vote of any description on Wicklow County Council to bring in either the Household charge or Septic tank charges, because this is a national decision by the government.

Cullen states "Sinn Féin on the 29th October 2008 voted to bail out the bankers" The simple fact here is there was no vote of any description on that date, the Bank Guarantee Scheme was brought forward by Brian Lenihan on 17th October 2008 and Sinn Féin voted against it.

 The political Mongrel Cullen must stop doing the dirty work and being a mouth piece for the parties of austerity. If he is sincere in his opposition to austerity, he must severe his connection to the Labour Party.

 People are hurting, people are fearful, penniless and broken, but I will not be distracted by Cullen and his twisted political agenda, I will continue giving these people a voice and offering them an alternative.

If Cullen or anyone else wants to stand alongside myself and my party they are more than welcome to do so, we offer alternatives and solutions not lies and deception.

Yours sincerely

Cllr. John Brady (Sinn Féin)