OUTGOING Health Minister Michelle O’Neill wasn’t the only MLA not in attendance at Tuesday night’s health briefing in Enniskillen.
While Ms O’Neill was accused by one attendee of “hiding” by not attending in person, also notable by their absence were all six of Fermanagh and South Tyrone’s MLAs. The meeting was attended by four local councillors and key local trade union representatives.
Many in attendance expressed their disappointment that not one Assembly members was present to discuss the future of local healthcare. Elected representatives have repeatedly expressed fears that any healthcare review could see fewer services being delivered locally and more patients being forced to travel for healthcare to larger acute hospitals like Altnagelvin.
Ulster Unionist MLA Rosemary Barton explained her absence was because she was “still at Stormont” at the time of the meeting and the UUP pointed out that the party was represented by Councillors Victor Warrington and Howard Thornton.
Neither DUP MLA, Arlene Foster or Maurice Morrow attended the meeting but a DUP spokesman said councillor Raymond Farrell, who works as a mental health practioner, was there representing Mrs Foster.
Similarly Sinn Fein MLAs Sean Lynch and Michelle Gildernew were not present but Enniskillen councillor Debbie Coyle did attend, although the party has said this was “primarily in her capacity as a health service employee”.
Explaining his absence, Sean Lynch MLA told the Herald that he “personally believes public consultations are an opportunity for members of the public to voice their opinions and concerns on important issues and should not be used by politicians as a vehicle for electioneering.”
Also absent, the SDLP’s Richie McPhillips said that he had tied up with previous appointments, adding that he also felt the event should have been “a politics-free zone”.
“I felt that it would have been wrong for political representatives to have been there hogging the meeting when the event had been organsied for members of the public, who I have been representing at Stormont,” he added.
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