Cllr Gary Wyse withdraws from Waterford City Council voting pact

Fianna Fáil Cllr Gary Wyse, has announced his intention to withdraw from the voting pact agreement that currently exists at Waterford City Council.

Cllr Wyse’s announcement comes after he was refused the opportunity to debate a motion on the future of Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) at last night’s City Council meeting.

Cllr Wyse commented: “At the end of last night’s meeting I pleaded with the Mayor to allow time for debate on my motion, which called on the Minister for Health to retain the existing services at WRH.

“The Mayor informed me that there was not enough time to debate the motion, which I find incredible. The motion would have taken 20 minutes to debate and it is extremely disappointing that the Mayor point blank refused to take it. I’m shocked that he didn’t deem this hugely important topic eligible for discussion.

“This motion would have been a perfect opportunity for Waterford City Council to send a clear message to the Government that we will not allow services at WRH to be dismantled without challenge.

“I am now withdrawing support for the voting pact as I don’t believe that the Government parties in Waterford genuinely support the best interests of the city. The majority of the Fine Gael and Labour Cllrs support the amalgamation of Waterford City and County Councils, which I feel will have a hugely detrimental effect on the city.

“The Higgins Report on the future of WRH is with the Minister for Health; the decisions he makes will have a massive impact on the future of the hospital and more importantly the people of Waterford. The message must be loud and clear from Waterford and the South East; we will not stand for the dismantling of vital services at WRH and as a Council we should be seen to take a lead on this.”