The Roscommon Hospital Action Committee is to announce, either today [Friday] or early next week, the name of the candidate it will be running in the upcoming General Election.
Speaking on Wednesday, chairperson of the comittee, John McDermott, said the group hoped to hold a press conference by the end of this week to announce the candidate and outline their policies, which are currently being finalised.
He believes health is an issue that affects people all over the country. “People will say that this is a one-issue candidate, but we argue that health is not a local issue, it is a national issue.
“There have been demonstrations at hospitals from Donegal to Dingle, and they are a reaction to national policy, to the centralisation of services, particularly A&E services. It is Government policy that has promoted this centralisation; it is national policy that affects people on the ground.”
There is speculation locally that the candidate may be Una Ní Chuinn, who ran for election in 2002 and is the current PRO of the Hospital Action Committee.
The committee has two elected representatives on Roscommon County Council, Cllrs Paula McNamara and Valerie Byrne.
