"Only Alliance cares for the elderly": McCarthy

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 22nd Apr 2005

Alliance candidate for Strangford, Kieran McCarthy MLA, has challenged other parties to come clean on their position on free personal care for the elderly.

Cllr McCarthy stated: "It is outrageous that Westminster candidates from other parties, such as Iris Robinson and Lady Sylvia Hermon, claim to want free personal care for the elderly, when the parties they belong to opposed it in the Assembly. How exactly do they plan to deliver free care if their colleagues vote against it?

"It is small wonder so many people are saying to me they prefer direct rule, when the reality of devolution was parties in the Executive failing to take responsibility for their own actions.

"But I want people to remember that Alliance held those parties to account, and I want them to remember those parties, voting record when they make misleading claims such as this.

"The truth -- on record in the Assembly -- was that Alliance was the only party that voted for free personal care for the elderly. The truth -- on record right now -- remains that Alliance is the only party offering a financial package to Northern Ireland based on minimizing segregated services and facilities that would enable us to pay for free personal care for the elderly.

"Alliance cares, tribal politics costs."

ENDS