McKay welcomes Save the Dal announcement

He said: “Today is a great victory for the people of Ballycastle and the Save The Dal campaign.

“The past two months demonstrated that people power has made the Health Minister do a u-turn on the closure of this vital rural service. I would like to pay tribute to each and every person who protested, who campaigned, who signed petitions, who contributed in any way to saving this hospital. This decision shows the importance of that work.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Philomena McKay and those who took forward the legal action against this decision. I have no doubt that this was the key action that made the Health Minister and the Trust reverse their decision.

“The Dal is saved. However the fight must continue. The people here are determined to continue the work that this campaign has started in order to ensure that the Dalriada hospital continues to serve this community for the foreseeable future.”