OMAGH BOMB SURVIVOR FEATURES IN SDLP ELECTION BROADCAST
Omagh survivor features in SDLP election broadcast
Focus on campaign for acute hospital services in Omagh
BRAVE Omagh bomb survivor, Mrs. Donna Marie McGillion, features in the second election broadcast for the SDLP, which was released this week and focuses on the campaign for acute hospital services for Omagh.
Speaking at a press conference launching the broadcast, the SDLP leader, Mr. Mark Durkan, revealed that Mrs. McGillion, together with renowned North-West fundraiser, Richard Moore, from Londonderry, featured in the broadcast. Mr. Durkan, who visisted Omagh yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), said it was a great honour that both Mrs. McGillion and Mr. Moore were at the launch, and said his party's goal in the election was not merely to secure a mandate to stop society from "the backward slide the DUP and other 'no' men want".
"We are seeking a mandate to ensure our society will only take forward strides," he said, adding: "We are determined to end the 'postcode lottery' that has disadvantaged so many people across the North. No one should have to endure second rate public services because of where they live."
Mr. Durkan said that his party had already outlined its commitment not just to de-centralising government jobs, but to de-centralising services to benefit all people, from Belleek to Ballycastle and from Londonderry to Newry.
"Out concern in the Review of Public Administration is not just to achieve savings in administrative costs and bureaucratic structures, but to do so in a way that avoids a new centralisation of the development and delivery of services, which need to be locally responsive," he said.
"We want to deepen partnership by creating opportunities for more local ownership and delivery of public services.
"The need to provide financing options to enable the substantial increase of investment needed to repair and renew the fabric of our public services across the North is what motivated me in initiating what became the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. It is also what will inform the SDLP's drive to curb and contain the cost of government. We are determined to skew money public money from administrative and corporate spend into front line local services," Mr. Durkan said.
The party leader said there was something wrong if people were told by government that they had no choice but to accept excessive structural overheads as a given.
"There is really something upside down if they are being told at the same time that they have no right to expect accessible, quality services as a given.
'Gap in the map'
"This is particularly apparent to people in Tyrone, not just Omagh, with the proposal to delete Omagh as an acute hospital location. When the former Minister brought her proposed consultation paper on acute services to the Executive, I raised a number of concerns including what I called 'the gap in the map'.
"At a regional level that 'gap in the map' is a real problem. Indeed, in the absence of any of the mitigating measures previously hinted at, it is more of a problem rather than less. It cannot be beyond the capacity of an elected regional administration to secure and sustain acute services in Omagh to serve the people of Tyrone and, in some cases, beyond," Mr. Durkan said.
The SDLP leader said that in the past he had stated that the unsustainable omission of Tyrone County Hospital from the acute services network could be addressed and redressed without undermining commitments to other sites or the interests or rights of other communities.
"I can assure Donna Marie we are determined to ensure and improve acute hospital services in Omagh. In doing so, we have to take on board not just concerns about existing services, such as accident and emergency services, ear, nose and throat, and renal dialysis, but also the need to protect and develop the potential for new service models in the future, including in co-operation with other acute providers as technology and professional factors change." He said.
He said that just as the people here had benefited from the hospitals and other public services they had inherited from previous generations, the people now had to renew those public services not just for now but for future generations.
"That is why the decisions we make have to take fuller account of longer term considerations as well as taking fuller account of compelling local need. Future generations in Tyrone must not conclude that their significant legacy from democratic regional government defined by inclusion, was that they were excluded from essential public services," he said.
"Unlike any other party, the SDLP has made it clear where we stand on health. We have three clear pledges: We will match spending increases announced by Westminster pound for pound in the next three years. Indeed, as we did in all the budgets for which we were responsible, we will do better than that. That means over �750 million more for our health service.
"We will cut down on red tape and limit spending on bureaucracy so that more goes to front line services. We will use the money we get to make a real difference and end the failures and missed opportunities of the last five years," Mr. Durkan vowed.
Focus on campaign for acute hospital services in Omagh
BRAVE Omagh bomb survivor, Mrs. Donna Marie McGillion, features in the second election broadcast for the SDLP, which was released this week and focuses on the campaign for acute hospital services for Omagh.
Speaking at a press conference launching the broadcast, the SDLP leader, Mr. Mark Durkan, revealed that Mrs. McGillion, together with renowned North-West fundraiser, Richard Moore, from Londonderry, featured in the broadcast. Mr. Durkan, who visisted Omagh yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), said it was a great honour that both Mrs. McGillion and Mr. Moore were at the launch, and said his party's goal in the election was not merely to secure a mandate to stop society from "the backward slide the DUP and other 'no' men want".
"We are seeking a mandate to ensure our society will only take forward strides," he said, adding: "We are determined to end the 'postcode lottery' that has disadvantaged so many people across the North. No one should have to endure second rate public services because of where they live."
Mr. Durkan said that his party had already outlined its commitment not just to de-centralising government jobs, but to de-centralising services to benefit all people, from Belleek to Ballycastle and from Londonderry to Newry.
"Out concern in the Review of Public Administration is not just to achieve savings in administrative costs and bureaucratic structures, but to do so in a way that avoids a new centralisation of the development and delivery of services, which need to be locally responsive," he said.
"We want to deepen partnership by creating opportunities for more local ownership and delivery of public services.
"The need to provide financing options to enable the substantial increase of investment needed to repair and renew the fabric of our public services across the North is what motivated me in initiating what became the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative. It is also what will inform the SDLP's drive to curb and contain the cost of government. We are determined to skew money public money from administrative and corporate spend into front line local services," Mr. Durkan said.
The party leader said there was something wrong if people were told by government that they had no choice but to accept excessive structural overheads as a given.
"There is really something upside down if they are being told at the same time that they have no right to expect accessible, quality services as a given.
'Gap in the map'
"This is particularly apparent to people in Tyrone, not just Omagh, with the proposal to delete Omagh as an acute hospital location. When the former Minister brought her proposed consultation paper on acute services to the Executive, I raised a number of concerns including what I called 'the gap in the map'.
"At a regional level that 'gap in the map' is a real problem. Indeed, in the absence of any of the mitigating measures previously hinted at, it is more of a problem rather than less. It cannot be beyond the capacity of an elected regional administration to secure and sustain acute services in Omagh to serve the people of Tyrone and, in some cases, beyond," Mr. Durkan said.
The SDLP leader said that in the past he had stated that the unsustainable omission of Tyrone County Hospital from the acute services network could be addressed and redressed without undermining commitments to other sites or the interests or rights of other communities.
"I can assure Donna Marie we are determined to ensure and improve acute hospital services in Omagh. In doing so, we have to take on board not just concerns about existing services, such as accident and emergency services, ear, nose and throat, and renal dialysis, but also the need to protect and develop the potential for new service models in the future, including in co-operation with other acute providers as technology and professional factors change." He said.
He said that just as the people here had benefited from the hospitals and other public services they had inherited from previous generations, the people now had to renew those public services not just for now but for future generations.
"That is why the decisions we make have to take fuller account of longer term considerations as well as taking fuller account of compelling local need. Future generations in Tyrone must not conclude that their significant legacy from democratic regional government defined by inclusion, was that they were excluded from essential public services," he said.
"Unlike any other party, the SDLP has made it clear where we stand on health. We have three clear pledges: We will match spending increases announced by Westminster pound for pound in the next three years. Indeed, as we did in all the budgets for which we were responsible, we will do better than that. That means over �750 million more for our health service.
"We will cut down on red tape and limit spending on bureaucracy so that more goes to front line services. We will use the money we get to make a real difference and end the failures and missed opportunities of the last five years," Mr. Durkan vowed.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1678
Published Date: 13-Nov.2003
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