Trevor Lunn MLA stated: “To close this home would be a scandal. Where will residents go if it is closed?
“There will be inadequate provision of residential care in the area if this service is cut.
“The staff at Skeagh House are extremely dedicated and some of them have worked there for decades. It is one of the cornerstones of the community and its closure will hurt the whole area. The level care that the home provides should be held as a beacon of good practice. We want to give our full support to the Skeagh House action committee and there appears to be a broad consensus across the political spectrum supporting the retention of the home.
“Its residents have worked all their lives and paid their taxes. The least they should expect is to be treated well as they grow old. It will be very traumatic for residents if they have to leave this home.
“People need to know however that it was the DUP’s Peter Robinson who created the budget which contained the 3% efficiency savings requirement which is leading to cuts in vital frontline services. Alliance opposed this budget and we will continue to fight cuts to important health and social care services across Northern Ireland.”
ENDS