The DUP has been blasted for allegedly being selfish and costing the people of Fermanagh vital cross-border treatment.
A lack of a functioning Executive at Stormont has meant there has been no meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) since the Assembly elections earlier this year.
Sinn Fein MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Jemma Dolan, insists that the meetings must resume as the health of people – regardless of whether they are unionist or nationalist – must come first over any viewpoint on the NI Protocol.
Because of DUP boycotting the Executive over the NI Protocol, the NSMC has been unable to meet with the provision of North/South healthcare to citizens from both sides of the border grinding to a halt.
“I actually think it’s really selfish of the DUP to be holding the whole of society to ransom just because of their own selfish reasons,” said Dolan.
“The Protocol, let’s not forget, is a product of Brexit – a Brexit they fully supported.
“We all use the healthcare service. I don’t care who treats me or where I’m treated. If you’re sick, you want to be treated and you don’t care what political situation is going on as long as you get the treatment that you deserve and that you’re entitled to.
“Unfortunately, the way our health service is at the minute, we need all the co-operation that we can get. It shouldn’t be held up by the DUP boycotting the Assembly and consequently, the North South Ministerial Council not meeting.
“Both Health Services are struggling at the minute. We’re too small an island to have two separate healthcare systems. But in the interim, yes, we definitely should be having cross-border healthcare.
“With a cost of living crisis as well, all communities are suffering thanks to this. Whether you are unionist or nationalist, we all use the healthcare service and by the DUP boycotting the Assembly and the Executive, everybody is suffering.”
Last week, the DUP MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Deborah Erskine, defended her party’s record on cross-border health.
She said: “It was DUP Health Ministers who delivered the cross-border cancer centre in Londonderry and developed the congenital heart protocol for paediatric patients. Sensible cooperation with Dublin is what we want.
“We also want the NI Executive restored by dealing with the NI Protocol.”
However, Dolan warns that what the DUP may have done in the past does not pass muster in the here and now.
She added: “The DUP can mention what they did regarding healthcare several years ago but that is not going to help people who are now waiting for four or five years for a hip replacement who won’t care what party, what MLA or what administration did four years if they’re waiting for treatment now.
“People are really struggling with the cost of living and the healthcare situation. They are going to get fed up of the Protocol.
“We canvassed for months (ahead of the Assembly election) and the Protocol was not mentioned once to me. The concerns that were raised were the Health Service and the cost of living. I’m not sure who the DUP are listening to, but I’m not hearing the same message that they’re hearing.”
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