Rocheisroastedon houselistleak

February 1986

The town’s Market Square is to be sealed off from all sides as work gets underway on redesigning the town’s main public area. Traffic will be diverted around the area via High Street, Kilmantin Hill, Goal Road, Hospital Lane, Castle Street and Quarantine Hill. But the good news is that a new bus service is being introduced in the town to help commuters with parking problems. The service, which is free, will be run by Wicklow County Council and extends from the free car park on the Murrough through various parts of the town. It’s launch, for a trial period, coincides with the Market Square improvement works.

Buses will run from 8 and 10 a.m. and between 4.30 and 6.30 p.m., Monday to Friday, at the rate of four per hour and allow people to park in the Murrough car park and then be transported free to the town centre. FIANNA Fáil’s general election candidate designate for north Wicklow Cllr Dick Roche was at the centre of an unprecedented political storm this week.

The County Councillor from Greystones came in for the worst criticism levelled at any local politician in recent years over his part in the leak of a confidential housing document last week. And the unnamed member of Bray Urban Council who leaked the list of transfers from the Oldcourt estate to new houses in Killruddery after an ‘in committee’ meeting also came in for stinging criticism. There was even condemnation from Cllr Roche’s party colleague, Cllr Tommy Forde, who said he did not condone his action and condemned the leak.

Raising the matter at the start of business at last Tuesday’s Council meeting, Chairman, Ciaran Murphy (PD), reminded members that they had agreed to keep the matter confidential in view of the sensitivities involved. He said the leak had ‘ brought the council into disrepute’ and he commented that the ‘politics of the stroke seem to be in Bray at present.’

Cllr John Byrne (Lab) said that it was ‘a mean and despicable act’. He said that the leak showed a lack of loyalty to the council. Last Wednesday he had to deal with a constant stream of upset residents from Oldcourt, one of whom was crying. He said Cllr Roche had gone around acting the big hero and ‘Robin Hood’, when in fact he was a ‘woolly headed sham’.

‘I made no promises to any official to keep things secret from Oldcourt residents and therefore broke no promises,’ said Cllr Roche. The move was strongly supported by officials who pointed out that the number of births at St Colmcille’s was not high enough to meet the requirements laid down for maintaining a maternity ward by the Department of Health. Instead, the facilities formerly used for maternity in St Colmcille’s will now be given over to geriatric and general surgical cases.