Cross party support for debate

McAuley Multimedia 25th November 2014...The lights of Dalriada Hospital shine bright on Monday evening as a community awaits an announcement by the Health Mister Jim Wells on the Hospital's future. It is thought that the announcement will be made at the Assembley on Tuesday at some stage. The Hospital is due to close on Friday on a temporary basis as announced by the Northern Trust at the end of October 2014, however most people fear that it would never open its doors again. PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAUEY MULTIMEDIA

And UUP MLA Robin Swann has also called on the Ballycastle community to “keep up the pressure to save the Dalriada Hospital”.

Mr McKay said: “We got cross party support for the report that has been carried out and I believe the Minister described the report that was commissioned by the old Moyle Council as excellent so he will be ensuring that the Northern Trust gives due consideration to the report and he will be engaging further with the Trust.

“I will be meeting the Trust this week and will be raising this matter directly with the Chief Executive.

“I hope that the Northern Trust takes the same approach - an open minded approach to the report from the Save the Dal group and together the Trust and the local community can now map out a way forward for the Dalriada Hospital by working together.”

“Speaking during the debate, Mr Swann said that campaign was never about saving a building”.

“It was about preserving and enhancing the service that was there that was where the campaign started, trying to keep what was already there.

“The ‘Dalriada Pathfinder Pilot’ is a tremendous piece of work for any community group to undertake, outside of any structured body or trust, to bring a development proposal forward to this degree of detail, with the research and structure that was behind it.

“The Dalriada pathfinder pilot project is another step on the road for retaining that vital service that has been delivering for the community in the Causeway coast and glens area for a number of years.

“It received the support of Moyle Council, and it has also received unanimous backing from the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

“There is a strong feeling that this is the way to go as a pilot project,” concluded Mr Swann.