Wicklow County Council

On 26th September 2007 two firefighters Brian Murray and Mark o'Shaughnessy lost their lives in a disused factory in Bray Co. Wicklow Ireland. There lives were lost as a direct result of the inadequate resources allocated to the fire service by Wicklow County Council. Within hours of their deaths the cover-up started as Jim Dunphy, the Chief Fire officer went on national television with the goal of misleading the public. He suggested in his interview that two units of the Fire Brigade were dispatched to the scene when in reality only one was sent. This was common practice in Wicklow as the firefighters dispatched to the scene knew only too well from past experience.Bertie Ahern came to Bray the following day and made political statements reinforcing the cover-up and indicating that He had already made his mind up as to the causes and contributary factors when He stated that a Full Time Fire Service would have made no difference. The Irish Government have refused to date to initiate an independent enquiry presumably because they are afraid of what the outcome might be.They say there are already three enquiries in place but this is not in fact true. Wicklow County Council who misled the government immediately after the fire are conducting their own enquiry. This enquiry can be discounted immediately because it is being conducted by a consultant regularly used by the Council, has links personally with council officials and has regularly produced findings in the past that could be deemed "friendly" to the Council. The terms of reference of this enquiry were witheld for several months until political and public pressure was applied. This enquiry is completely biased and the results of it will only serve as a P.R. exercise for Wicklow County Council. The Gardai (Irish police) are conducting an enquiry along with the HSA(Health and safety Authority) These two bodies are independent and have the integrity to conduct an unbiased enquiry, however they are working within the confines of criminal law. This means that they will make a decision to prosecute if the evidence exists , beyond reasonable doubt, that somebody commited a criminal offence. The fire services act 1981, the legislation governing fire services in Ireland is inadequate. This legislation was rushed into the statute books to appease a disbelieving and angry public following the Stardust disaster in February 1981. This legislation puts the responsibility for providing a fire service on each local authority as it sees fit. There are no checks by any body to ensure that a local authority provides an adequate fire service in its area, infact there are no guidelines as to what constitutes an adequate fire service. In any other country the level of fire cover that sent Brian Murray and Mark oShaughnessy to their deaths would be a criminal offence. In any other country Jim Dunphy (Chief Fire Officer) and Eddie Sheehy (County Manager)would be guilty of a criminal offence. In Ireland however, the law is always stacked in favour of public officials who are accountable to nobody and are never held accountable fot their actions. An enquiry is required to establish what went wrong, what can be done to prevent a needless tragedy like this from happening again. The Irish government have expressed no desire to find out what went wrong and in fact have blocked any attempt to set up an enquiry. Liz Mc Manus TD (labour), a local politician has worked hard to raise the issue in the Dail (Irish Parliment) but the government parties have blocked every effort she has made. Even Local Politians Dick Roche TD FF and Joe Behan TD FF voted to block an independent enquiry. What have they to fear. Does Dick Roche fear an enquiry into his time as Minister for environment? John Gormley, the current Minister has done nothing to address this issue. John Gormley has no desire to deal with any issue that might conflict with the interest of Fianna Fail his partners in Government.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• wicklow
• county
• council
• bertie
• joe
• eddie
• sheehy
• bray
• fire
• 911

[arsewipe3]

@Carlos.You must realise that decisions made at the scene are made in the context of resources available. Firefighters are different to other workers in that other workers can refuse to work if their health and safety standards are not adequate. Firefighters worldwide will continue to work to save lives and property, whatever the circumstances because to do otherwise could endanger the public. Fire authorities can on exploit that and try to get away with under resourcing their employees.

[arsewipe3]

At this time the current government of have not addressed any of the issues highlighted by this tragedy. In opposition they were in favour of an independent enquiry and the establishment of a national fire authority. While hopeful they might implement their position taken in opposition, as each day goes by it looks more likely that they will just follow the Fianna Fail coverup and bury their heads in the sand and leave the safety of Irish citizens in the hands of corrupt county councils.

[arsewipe3]

The named people would be GUILTY in any civilised country. In Ireland, however, a banana republic, if you are politically connected, you can get away with causing death by corruption. In a true republic, all would be equal before the law, but in Ireland the elite can do as they please, even cause death. The disgrace in this case is that the council are facing charges and if found guilty will hand over tax payers money to the exchequer (money that would be given back to the council if needed.

[Carlos2011G]

The DPP has decided that no individuals are to be charged. I think that you should remove your allegation against named individuals.

If they made decisions on the day itself they should have to answer for those decisions. Did they make decisions at the scene of the Fire ?

[arsewipe3]

@Carlos2011G You have no understanding, the decisions made at the scene were made in the context of poor resources and delayed response by a management desperate to save money in order to maintain their jobs that would not be viable under unbiased scrutany. Ireland with a population of approx 4 million has 37 CHIEF fire officers and more than 100 assistants. New york with double the population has 1.

[7tarmacterrorist7]

wicklow council SCUM

[seanmurphy13]

GUILTY AS F***

[Carlos2011G]

The organisation of the fire brigade in any country, Ireland or Spain which I am familiar with, has people on the engines and people in the offices. The people on the engines have to be responsible for their decisions. the ones in the offices do not send them into buildings, in Spain or elsewhere, I have talked with my fire brigade friend in Galway and he agrees.

[ss220i]

@Carlos2011 its a disgrace no one is being charged.ye they might as well off shot them and you'd still see no one charged"Did they make decisions at the scene of the fire"How many times was the call vetted that day how many men did they have to tackle a factory fire Six its a Fuckin joke so how you can sit there and say the council had no involvement in killing theses to men and countless other people in co.wicklow is a joke so go back and tell whoever's cock your sucking its far from over.!!!

[waaeaa]

IRISHWOMAN TORTURED AND BURNT ALIVE BY IMMIGRANTS - HER SISTER SPEAKS OUT AND JUDGE CALLS HER A RACIST

“Justice in Ireland is sleeping while its people are dying,” Ms French told the Central Criminal Court.

“People with criminal records in their own country should never be allowed to live among us,” she said, referring to Mineikas and Dilys’s previous convictions in Lithuania.

“The country has enough to deal with."

Judge White described the statement as offensive; inappropriate; xenophobic;

[ss220i]

.........SCUM BAGS.........