Define positions on health - McShane

He said that local Councillors were shedding crocodile tears at the behest of their leadership who all endorsed slashing £44million from the Northern Trust Health budget between 2008 and 2011. He claimed the cuts to Health Care budgets continue unabated.

The Councillor said: “The attacks we witnessed on Residential Care Homes had been instigated in 2009 following massive cuts in Health. The Executive created the on-going and systemic cuts to health. In 2009 Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the DUP rejected a proposal from the Health Unions to protect and ring-fence Health Care budgets. Why?

“The Executive are at the cutting edge of a class war against the most vulnerable in our society. Those parties who espouse Socialist values are in fact delivering right wing Tory led cuts. Socialism and class struggle are not merely defined as, or can ever be reduced to economics by itself. It must be used to enhance and preserve the Services we see the parties of the Executive categorically oppose, namely Housing, Health, Welfare, Education and Justice.”

The Councillor also said it was embarrassing to watch other Councillors speak of ‘climb downs’ and welcome Minister Poots U-turn.

“Nothing changed after Poots announcement. Residential Care remains under attack from the Executive and the news that Day Care and Resource centre in Ballycastle are earmarked for closure will surprise no one. The multi millions removed from Health in the Northern Trust were not replaced. How could anyone in their right minds gloat about this like it was some form of victory?”