Alliance piles pressure on McGimpsey to deliver quick timescale on free personal care

2.37.51pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 2nd Jul 2007

Lagan Valley Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn

During Ministerial Questions in the Assembly today, Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn called for Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to set out a timetable for introducing free personal care for older people. On 29 May, in an Assembly debate on the issue, a commitment was given by Mr McGimpsey to introduce free personal care, but no timetable was outlined

Opposition MLA, Trevor Lunn stated: "Actions speak louder that words, so its time that the Minister gave us a clear timetable for the quick implementation of free personal care for local older people.

"The Executive parties have denied older people free care for too long. They had the chance to introduce it through my colleague, Kieran McCarthy's Assembly amendment in 2002, but they passed up this opportunity.

"The Executive parties have a duty to provide free care as soon as possible because local older people were treated with contempt by those four parties in the free personal care debate in 2002.

"We need the Minister to provide a solid and comprehensive timetable showing when free care will be provided to prevent further delays from the Executive parties.

"The Alliance Party has been battling for the past five years to have free care introduced and we will continue to keep the spotlight on the Minister until the day and hour he provides it."

ENDS