COUNCILS DEBATE HOSPITAL PLAN
Coucils debate hospital plan
By Adrian Mullan
Protesters' fury as meeting is held behind closed doors
AS Omagh and Fermanagh District Councils met the independent Chairman of the Acute Services Review body, behind closed doors, this week two hospital protesters threatened the Council with legal action.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, members of Fermanagh District Council, accompanied by Chief Executive, Aideen McGinley, arrived at Omagh Council to be briefed, along with Omagh District Council, by Chairman of the Acute Services Review, Bob Nicholls on proposals for acute hospitals. The review has been commissioned by the Western Health Board.
The document is to be formally presented to the Board's Administrative Committee on St Patrick's Day and it will later come on the agenda for a full Board meeting for a decision.
As Tuesday's meeting got underway, West-Tyrone Councillor, Pat McDonnell, conveyed the message that save the hospital campaigners, including members of families bereaved in the Omagh bomb, wished to be admitted in a non-participatory capacity. However, Fermanagh Councillors and the bulk of Omagh Councillors objected to any such admission.
A discussion taking place over some thirty minutes concluded with the Chief Executives of both Omagh and Fermanagh Councils addressing protesters in the foyer, advising of the decision not to admit them.
At this stage, the protesters, who were in two distinct groups, made representations to the Chief Executives.
Geoffrey Simpson and Lawrence Rush called upon the Council to put aside protocol and practice 'accountable democracy'. Mr Simpson, who said he did not represent any group, shouted, "What have you got to hide?"
He continued; "We are in the situation whereby the people of Omagh and the victims are not being represented. It is a dangerous situation when the press and the public are excluded from meetings, and free speech is not allowed.
We are going from political terrorism to bureaucratic terrorism."
Dr. McGinley informed the protesters that both Councils were concerned with ensuring that neither area suffered the loss of services.
Mr McKinney said that the Councillors had taken a collective decision not to admit the public and that he was simply charged with conveying, the Council's message to which Mr Simpson replied; " I consider it a slur on the people of Omagh that this Council denies people access to a
meeting of such importance."
Mr McKinney informed the protesters that the public would get an opportunity to hear Mr Nicholl's findings at a meeting organised at the first possible opportunity. He added that Mr Nichiolls had indicated that he would be prepared to meet community groups.
Dr. McGinley said that because of legal protocols, the protesters could not be admitted to the meeting but said that the minutes of the meeting would be in the public domain.
Mr Rush responded; "There was no protocol when 3l people were killed in Omagh. This is our hospital and it's not going to be closed it is not going to be a satellite dish with a wee black box at the back of it. No one is going to fob us off with anything less than an upgraded hospital."
Two of the protesters, Kevin Taylor and Geoffrey Simpson, told Mr McKinney that they would be seeking legal advice, and suggested the possibility of legal action against individual Councillors.
What was disclosed at the meeting is not yet known, however, it is thought that four possibilities as to where and how hospital services will be
delivered in the future were discussed.
A number of the protesters, who numbered about a dozen between the two groups, unfurled banners calling for 'open democracy'.
Speaking after the protest, Paddy Hunter, of the Save Omagh Hospital campaign quickly distanced that campaign from any disruption and said he was 'disgusted' at the disruption and said that it served no purpose whatever. "We were there to make a dignified protest", said Mr Hunter.
By Adrian Mullan
Protesters' fury as meeting is held behind closed doors
AS Omagh and Fermanagh District Councils met the independent Chairman of the Acute Services Review body, behind closed doors, this week two hospital protesters threatened the Council with legal action.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, members of Fermanagh District Council, accompanied by Chief Executive, Aideen McGinley, arrived at Omagh Council to be briefed, along with Omagh District Council, by Chairman of the Acute Services Review, Bob Nicholls on proposals for acute hospitals. The review has been commissioned by the Western Health Board.
The document is to be formally presented to the Board's Administrative Committee on St Patrick's Day and it will later come on the agenda for a full Board meeting for a decision.
As Tuesday's meeting got underway, West-Tyrone Councillor, Pat McDonnell, conveyed the message that save the hospital campaigners, including members of families bereaved in the Omagh bomb, wished to be admitted in a non-participatory capacity. However, Fermanagh Councillors and the bulk of Omagh Councillors objected to any such admission.
A discussion taking place over some thirty minutes concluded with the Chief Executives of both Omagh and Fermanagh Councils addressing protesters in the foyer, advising of the decision not to admit them.
At this stage, the protesters, who were in two distinct groups, made representations to the Chief Executives.
Geoffrey Simpson and Lawrence Rush called upon the Council to put aside protocol and practice 'accountable democracy'. Mr Simpson, who said he did not represent any group, shouted, "What have you got to hide?"
He continued; "We are in the situation whereby the people of Omagh and the victims are not being represented. It is a dangerous situation when the press and the public are excluded from meetings, and free speech is not allowed.
We are going from political terrorism to bureaucratic terrorism."
Dr. McGinley informed the protesters that both Councils were concerned with ensuring that neither area suffered the loss of services.
Mr McKinney said that the Councillors had taken a collective decision not to admit the public and that he was simply charged with conveying, the Council's message to which Mr Simpson replied; " I consider it a slur on the people of Omagh that this Council denies people access to a
meeting of such importance."
Mr McKinney informed the protesters that the public would get an opportunity to hear Mr Nicholl's findings at a meeting organised at the first possible opportunity. He added that Mr Nichiolls had indicated that he would be prepared to meet community groups.
Dr. McGinley said that because of legal protocols, the protesters could not be admitted to the meeting but said that the minutes of the meeting would be in the public domain.
Mr Rush responded; "There was no protocol when 3l people were killed in Omagh. This is our hospital and it's not going to be closed it is not going to be a satellite dish with a wee black box at the back of it. No one is going to fob us off with anything less than an upgraded hospital."
Two of the protesters, Kevin Taylor and Geoffrey Simpson, told Mr McKinney that they would be seeking legal advice, and suggested the possibility of legal action against individual Councillors.
What was disclosed at the meeting is not yet known, however, it is thought that four possibilities as to where and how hospital services will be
delivered in the future were discussed.
A number of the protesters, who numbered about a dozen between the two groups, unfurled banners calling for 'open democracy'.
Speaking after the protest, Paddy Hunter, of the Save Omagh Hospital campaign quickly distanced that campaign from any disruption and said he was 'disgusted' at the disruption and said that it served no purpose whatever. "We were there to make a dignified protest", said Mr Hunter.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1207
Published Date: 18-Feb-99
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