Cunningham to ask if £1.28million Social Investment Fund bid could be used to save Dalriada Hospital

The bid which is for funding to build community capacity to address health issues is described on the OFMDFM site as awaiting approval.

Councillor Cunningham said: “For three years after the £80 million fund was first announced in March 2011 - an election year - this money lay unspent by OFMDFM before the first announcements of funding were only made in February 2014 – another election year. “

“Moyle has seen nothing from the OFMDFM. For the purpose of the Social Investment Fund, Moyle is part of a bigger ‘Northern’ regional group, for which initially only one project in Coleraine received funding.”

“In the face of the pending closure of Dalriada Hospital and the further cuts anticipated as a result of the cuts in the Assembly’s draft budget, investing wisely is more important now than ever, the Assembly Executive has failed to bring forward a single new investment project which would benefit Moyle. Investment in Dalriada Hospital would do much to maintain health service provision and provide much needed jobs for the Moyle economy.”