It’s disappointing, but sadly predictable, that some local political parties are ramping up the rhetoric and attempting to score dubious political points ahead of May’s local government elections.
The recently published letter from Nick Mathison of the Alliance Party – ‘Standing up for transformation of health care’ (March 15) – in which he referenced myself, is indicative of that. Whilst everyone is entitled to their own opinion, they are not entitled to their own facts.
He accused me of “attempting to row back from his [my] party’s position opposing the principles of the Bengoa Report”.
If Mr Mathison, or indeed any of his Alliance colleagues, had taken the trouble to attend the public meeting of the Trust board held in his own constituency, he would have been aware that Mike Nesbitt MLA and myself were the only other elected political representatives in attendance.
He would have heard me address the meeting and welcome recent transformational proposals put forward by the trust, but also raise concerns around the logistics. He would also have heard me make a plea for every avenue to be explored to keep Minor Injury Units (MIU) available to help reduce the pressures on the A&E department at the Ulster Hospital.
Within a document signed off by my party colleague Robin Swann in 2022 it quite clearly reads that the type of urgent care facility as proposed for the Ulster Hospital should not be seen as replacing existing MIUs.
I see no contradiction in trying to retain local MIUs, especially in areas where the closest A&E is already under considerable strain. I have still to hear any clinical reasons that support their closure other than ‘staffing difficulties’.
The Alliance Party were very quick out of the blocks to support the closure of the MIUs despite there being no clear rationale nor benefit as well as widespread local public support for keeping them available. Some staff within the trust also firmly oppose the proposals.
The Ulster Unionist Party will be taking no lectures from Mr Mathison or his colleagues on the need to deliver transformation of our health service.
Transformation plans put forward by a Trust should never be immune from challenge and scrutiny by public representatives.
My party colleague, Robin Swann MLA, moved the transformation agenda forward during his tenure as Health Minister, and all done while dealing with the worst pandemic in living memory.
ALAN CHAMBERS MLA
UUP health spokesperson
Follow St Patrick’s way
How fitting it is to respect our great Saint Patrick each year as we commemorate his death on March 17 (and March 30 for our fellow Orthodox Christians) and celebrate the great gifts of Christianity he has bestowed on our nation and also to reflect on how we can honour his legacy by promoting the spiritual and humane values of truth, justice and peace in our island nation and across the world.
These values are the true characteristics of the Irish people which make our Irish Defence Forces renowned peace keepers. Our impartiality as a neutral nation gives us the real power to promote diplomacy over conflict and to help belligerent countries resolve their differences by being respected mediators.
It is therefore shocking and shameful to see this current Irish government abandon our political and military neutrality by behaving like a puppet state of the pro-western Nato countries in their anti-Russian drive to escalate the war and suffering in Ukraine rather than seek dialogue and negotiations for peace between the Russian and the Ukrainian governments.
On the home front this tripartite Irish government will disgracefully throw vulnerable people onto the street by ending the eviction ban in the middle of a housing crisis. They have created a state where only the wealthy can prosper while the majority of the people struggle to make ends meet in this globally rich part of our island.
We must be a nation worthy of St Patrick, the great enlightener of Ireland, a people with a government who believes in creating a caring society where we hold our values more precious than wealth or power – a country that inspires truth, justice and peace with our shared humanity.
MICHAEL HAGAN
Dunmurry, Co Antrim
Impressive display of togetherness
The latest opinion poll showing overwhelming cross-community support for the Windsor Agreement’s dual market access (March 22) highlights a common desire to prioritise the economy.
This reminds me of the way people from all walks of life and different cultural backgrounds came together to celebrate Ireland’s recent historic Grand Slam rugby success.
Maybe it’s the opportunity for northern unionists to express their Irishness in the way that is wholly comfortable to them, and for northern nationalists to rally behind a national team whose Ulster players would traditionally have been drawn from mostly Protestant grammar schools, that makes this event so special.
And for everyone else, who consider themselves outside of these two designations, to just celebrate this marvellous sporting victory.
The determination, fortitude and positivity displayed by Johnny Sexton’s team in his final Six Nations match seems to have inspired us all.
Likewise, the Irish News-Institute of Irish Studies-University of Liverpool survey result that places support for dual access to the EU single market and the UK’s internal market at an impressive 83.5 per cent is another impressive display of togetherness.
This clearly shows that wanting to build on trading opportunities throughout this island and the wider EU does not diminish, in any way, the importance of east-west trade with GB.
Cllr BRIAN POPE
Banbridge DEA
Framework furnishes practical answers
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has made it abundantly clear the party will not return to Stormont in their ongoing protest against post-Brexit trade agreements. The Windsor Framework attempted to rectify their concerns by creating a red lane/green lane system to reduce checks, and the Stormont brake – a veto against new EU laws being implemented in Northern Ireland. A key element of the EU-UK agreement, the Stormont brake was endorsed by 515 votes to 29 in the House of Commons. Welcoming the result of the Westminster vote, Leo Varadkar was confident the UK government and European Union would implement the Windsor Framework, allowing the parties to implement the deal in good faith. Given the unprecedented economic opportunities to bolster the Northern Ireland economy, creating more jobs, now is the time to move forward to get the Assembly and Executive functioning again to address problems in the National Health Service, delivering for business and for workers and their families. The Windsor Framework provides practical answers to multiple problems highlighted over the past few years.
GERRY COUGHLAN
Dublin 24
