‘Working group’ future of council health lobby

‘Working group’ future of council health lobby

6 September 2017

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council has decided against establishing a new dedicated health committee, just months after agreeing to set up such a body.

At the local authority’s monthly meeting on Monday night, politicians voted by 19 votes to 14 to form a new health working group instead.

At the start of the summer, the full council agreed to establish a dedicated health committee which was intended to include members of various health campaign groups in Downpatrick and Newry and trade union representatives.

However, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee scrapped the original plan and instead voted to set up a health working group instead as recommended by the Party Representatives Forum — a seven strong ‘kitchen cabinet’ of councillors that meets in private and takes all major decisions within the council. It was this body which expressed concern about establishing a dedicated health committee.

A number of politicians argue a health working group will have considerably reduced authority and not have access to council staff and resources to ensure health and social services issues remain in sharp focus and at the top of the local authority’s agenda. 

There is also concern the working group will not have decision making powers and that its main role will be to highlight issues the local authority should raise when it meets the Southern and South Eastern Health Trusts.

On Monday night, Councillor Pete Byrne expressed concern at the decision not to form a dedicated health committee, but his proposal that all the information discussed by the Party Representatives Forum and the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the issue should be made available and debated by councillors was defeated.

He continued: “It’s my understanding the paper taken to the Forum on this issue was designed to tease things out and look at different avenues to go down, but certainly not to make a decision. I believe that over the past few months the Party Representatives Forum is actually abusing its power, with health officials told a working group was being set up before the issue was discussed at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

“My problem is that discussions are taking place behind closed doors and my call for transparency and openness is to the councillors here. I do not come to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to nod something through and not debate it,” he said. “We are being handed proposals which have already been agreed. We are stifling and not allowing debate.”

Councillor Cadogan Enright claimed the local authority management “does not trust” elected representatives enough to give them the resources or staff for a health committee, highlighting the success of a similar group run by the former Down Council.

He added: “What management want us to do is shut up and not say anything. They think the community consultation process will work and that if we all hold our caps in our hands and bow nicely and ignore the fact we have passed two motions on the health committee proposal, management is somehow going to make it alright on the day. We need a fully funded and resourced health committee.”

Councillor John Trainor said he was disappointed the local authority had not agreed to revisit structures to deal with health issues, arguing elected representatives have a duty to represent people’s views on the issues that affect them.

“Health is one of the greatest issues in the Lecale and wider south eastern area. If we are going to have a structure in council to address health issues we need to get it right. That means all options have to be explored so councillors can make an informed decision. There has been a democratic deficit in this process with the proposals that were tabled at last month’s Policy and Resources Committee meeting lacking in terms of detail and depth of options. 

“The SDLP team will continue to fight for our health services locally but, having an appropriate structure in council is integral to all political representatives representing the views of the residents in this district,” he said.

Rowallane councillor Billy Walker said the former Down Council Health Committee was poorly attended, describing the handful of elected representatives who attended some meetings as “embarrassing.”

He added: “I have always  supported health in this area and even got into trouble withy my own DUP ministers because I stood up to them in opposition to cuts at the Downe. We need to form a working group that can hold decision makers to account, bring them to this council and challenge them and seek judicial reviews if we think they are necessary.”

At the conclusion of the debate, council chairwoman Roisin Mulgrew said the point of the proposed working group was that the voices of health service users and staff would be heard.