A public meeting on the cost-of-living crisis is taking place in the Armagh City Hotel this Thursday 12th January at 8pm. The meeting has been organised by the Aontú representative for the area, Daniel Connolly, and will be attended by party leader, TD Peadar Tóibín.
Speaking in advance of the meeting, Mr Connolly said:
“It is vital that we have a strong show of support at this meeting. There are a lot of people facing enormous struggles with the cost of living at present. People are contacting me in shocking situations, people who are sick due to living in cold and damp conditions, and people struggling to put food on the table. We need to send a strong message to our elected representatives that the current situation which sees MLAs drawing a massive wage while refusing to work in Stormont, is unacceptable”.
Mr Connolly continued: “I am delighted that Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD will be present at the public meeting. There are a number of local issues which need urgent attention. Primary among them is the fear that when Daisy Hill becomes an elective care centre, it will be at the expense of other services, especially the potential loss of Daisy Hill’s capacity for emergency general surgery. The issue of nurses’ pay is also big at the moment – with many facing unprecedently poor and stressful working conditions, while also struggling with inflation-associated costs. Nurses deserve a pay rise. The health service is on its knees. We need a health system in Armagh which is properly funded and staffed with workers that are happy, healthy and who feel valued”.
“We need to also encourage our local economy to grow and thrive. A key way of doing this, I believe, is to restore the Armagh to Portadown rail link. This would connect us better with the Dublin-Belfast corridor and half of Ireland’s population. Without this investment many regional businesses face a real threat to survival. As the cost of fuel rises, and the threat of climate change becomes more apparent, proper public transport routes are a necessity for this region. I would encourage everyone who can to attend this meeting at 8pm on Thursday 12th January to ensure people power is the driving force towards change. It is shameful that people in this constituency are going hungry”, concluded Mr Connolly.
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 