Alliance Mid and East Antrim Borough Councillor Danny Donnelly has criticised other parties on the Council for failing to recognise the impact the current political impasse at Stormont is having on local health provision.

Speaking at the Council meeting last night (Monday) Councillor Donnelly – Alliance’s East Antrim candidate for Westminster – said Councillors wanted to write to anyone they could think of “with a remote link to local services to urge improvements be made”, rather than address the real issue – the DUP and Sinn Féin’s reluctance to restore the Executive.

He said: “It would have been a completely logical move to outline our concerns about local health provision to the leaders of both the DUP and Sinn Féin. It is their reluctance to move forward that has left so many suffering locally.

“While it is disappointing, but probably not surprising, DUP and Sinn Féin Councillors were unable to back my proposal – most likely out of embarrassment – I don’t understand why the UUP and TUV were so eager to do similar and give them cover.

“It seems the growing trend of shouting down Alliance whatever the issue might have seen them act in haste this time and fail to recognise the impact the political impasse is having on health provision in Northern Ireland.”