Dessie Shiels
Independent election candidate Dessie Shiels has said the Donegal electorate do not trust political parties on healthcare issues.
Having now canvassed thousands of homes across Donegal in the last number of weeks for the 2016 General election, he said the clear sentiment on the doorsteps is that political parties cannot be trusted on healthcare issues.
He added the Donegal electorate have had enough of years of neglect and they no longer trust political parties to properly prioritise healthcare issues and resource services.
“Donegal people have become frustrated at the lack of proper healthcare services in Donegal. Many people on the doorsteps have complained strongly about the fact that many routine medical procedures and indeed some more serious but nevertheless common operations cannot be carried out at Letterkenny University Hospital and instead Donegal people are having to travel to Galway and Donegal. Successive governments have presided over this situation and the Donegal electorate do not believe that there will be any change for the better if they elect party politicians again.
“Donegal people are now very angry also at the blatant disregard at government level for the provision of proper services for sick children in Donegal. Issues now arise in multiple ways as regards terminally ill children, children with Diabetes, children with autism, children needing orthodontic treatment and children with various other healthcare needs. The parents of these children feel abandoned to a life of watching their children suffer needlessly and have no faith in political parties any more. Political parties who have presided over years of government where sick children have been left to suffer needlessly cannot be trusted anymore”.
The Donegal County Councillor aded that Donegal people are very very angry and disillusioned with the approach that political parties have taken to Donegal when it comes to cancer care.
“The situation which has existed for years where Donegal people have uniquely had to travel huge distances for cancer treatment to either Galway or Dublin has really angered Donegal people who are of the view that political parties see healthcare as a business rather than a service which must be properly funded based on needs.
I have met far too many people on the doorsteps who have had to make the ‘travel or die’ decision that has been presented to them as the only option where they are diagnosed as needing cancer treatment. Their families too are very angry at political parties for this cruel neglect of Donegal people and the electoral sentiment is that it is an injustice which must be ended.
“Added to this has come the Fine Gael plan to downgrade the Ramelton, Lifford and Ballybofey Community Hospitals. This again has sparked outrage in these communities as people find themselves asking how political parties can be so heartless when considering the health needs of sick elderly people. Downgrading these community hospitals may balance a budget column somewhere but it will cruelly impact upon the lives of the sick people involved and on that of their caring families. Donegal people have had enough of this.
“With such large and widespread distrust for political parties on healthcare issues, the Donegal electorate are now ready in to support independent candidates who they know will prioritise the provision of proper healthcare resources for Donegal. The independent vote in Donegal for the 2016 general election will be very strong and it is vital that Donegal has at least one independent TD after this election so that Healthcare in Donegal is made a priority.”
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