Major Save Causeway Hospital Rally for Coleraine This Saturday

People from all across Derry and north Antrim will gather together on Saturday 13th May at 1pm in The Diamond, Coleraine to send a strong message to those responsible for taking the decision behind closed doors to close Causeway Maternity. Speaking in advance of the Rally, Chairperson of the Causeway Hospital Campaign Gemma Brolly stated:

“Our campaign has reached thousands of people, over 2000 people so far have signed our petition to stop this closure. We have gathered clear-cut evidence through FOI which proves the stated has been stripping services from Causeway Maternity over the last number of years. This is already having a downward pressure on the number of births that are happening at this hospital. We now have in our possession all the responses from the so-called consultation process. None of which are in favour of this closure. Our campaign is also currently seeking legal advice as to the legality of the decision to close Causeway Maternity services without a Minister for Health being in place. This is especially important after the statement by Chris Heaton Harris today that states that Civil Servants should not be making such decisions”.

“We will stand together, sending a powerful message to the Permanent Secretary of Health and to the management board of the Northern Trust; this is completely against the will of the people and will endanger the lives of so many, we will not stand by and allow this to happen. This closure does not solve the problems within our maternity service, it simply shifts them to a different location”.

“At our protest, you will hear from political representatives, from the Chair of the Causeway Hospital Campaign, from rural community representatives, from mothers and from staff on the ground. We have and will continue to work together to achieve true transparency and stop the closure of Causeway Maternity, which we are very aware is only the beginning of a domino of future closures in our local hospital. The future of the ICU has been called into doubt which would threaten the future of our A&E. We will not be discriminated against on the basis of home location. We will fight every step of the way to retain our hospital services”. ENDS

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.