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Mid Ulster SDLP councillors Malachy Quinn, Christine McFlynn and Martin Kearney used the occasion of one of the last council meetings to highlight the severe funding cuts which will have major implications on both the voluntary and community sectors across the Mid Ulster region putting many vulnerable people at risk.

Councillor Quinn spoke of the imminent funding cuts to the First Steps Women’s Centre in Dungannon – a lifeline to struggling mothers who can’t get the help they need anywhere else, providing a warm, safe space, access to education and childcare.

He said: “These services are now at risk due to the loss of £270.000 per year because of the end of the European Social Fund, causing five members of staff to lose their jobs with over 62 years experience. I am also well aware that it is not just FSWC that are going to have their services slashed but these cuts will be replicated right across Counties Derry and Tyrone.”

Councillor Kearney elaborated on how the Brexit outcome would now cause the loss of millions of pounds from the European Social Fund.

Millions of pounds have been lost from the European Social Fund.

He said: “Up to now this Fund has benefited education, created job opportunities, supported businesses, invested in public services, developed new skills, offered career counselling, mentoring and assisted the disabled members of our community. 2,500 people across Mid Ulster who were previously unemployed or economically inactive have now found employment. That these jobs are now in peril is unbelievable.”

In the second motion Councillor McFlynn drew attention to the vital role of Community Pharmacies during the Covid 19 pandemic and their enhanced roles in conjunction with the Health Boards.

She said: “Pharmacies felt that other improvements like the digitalisation of the computer system between the GP surgeries and pharmacies would make life easier for everyone. The fact that such a plan had already been agreed with then Health Minister Robin Swann but was awaiting implementation due to the Stormont stand-off is unacceptable.”

However, in the aftermath of all this, there is now a shortfall of close to 70 million pounds per year which had been promised as a result of an agreed Community Pharmacy Commissioning Plan.

The motions resulted in a unanimous call for an emergency meeting with the Permanent Secretaries of the Department for Communities, Economy, Finance and Health.

Funding shortfalls ‘putting vulnerable at risk’ across Mid Ulster – SDLP