Mayo Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Support Healthcare Rally - Keating

Published: 16 October, 2006

Westport Sinn Féin Town Councillor, Dave Keating, is urging members of the public in Mayo to show their opposition to hospital privatisation by supporting his party's 'Demand your Healthcare Rights' Rally in Dublin on Saturday 21st October.

Speaking at a recent Sinn Féin Comhairle Ceantair meeting in Castlebar, Councillor Keating said the Government had no mandate from the people for its plan to provide land at public hospital sites to developers of private, for-profit hospitals. He called for the abandonment of the plan, which he said, was undemocratic and would have massive long-term consequences for the Irish health service.

Councillor Keating said, "The enrichment of the private health business with access to public lands and with massive tax breaks was not in the Programme for Government nor in the 2001 Government Health Strategy nor in the election manifestos of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. It has never been put before the people. It will have massive long-term consequences for our health services, reinforcing the two tier public/private system and draining more health professionals out of the public hospital system."

Mayo Sinn Féin are organising buses to take members of the public from the county to attend the 'Demand your Healthcare Rights' Rally in Dublin on Saturday 21st October. Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams MP MLA, will be the main speaker at the rally scheduled for 1pm at Parnell Square. Members of the public in Mayo wishing to attend the event should contact their local Sinn Féin representative. Contact details on the Representatives page of this website.

"Minister Harney's madcap scheme should be stopped now. I urge people to support the 'Demand your Healthcare' Rally in Dublin and to show their opposition to this Government's undemocratic attempts at hospital privatisation", said Councillor Keating.