Dear Editor,

I feel that I must write to make clear the circumstances, which came to pass on Saturday 21st. January at the public March and Rally and which was organised by the Save the Cottage Hospital Action Committee.

It is our view that this March and Rally was attended by almost 2000 people and were thankful that this point was accurately reported in your paper.

The March and Rally committee comprised of concerned members of our community, some of whom have family members in the Cottage Hospital and who are the true victims, being older, more vulnerable and not able to voice their objections themselves.

One of our speakers, Debbie Wogan, whose mother now considers the Cottage Hospital her home, eloquently described in a real way what the Cottage Hospital means to her mother and her family and why her mother has done nothing to deserve this unfair treatment.

I now feel that our main focus of saving the Cottage Hospital is being swayed by how three TDS felt they were treated at our public March and Rally.

It is very important to state that the committee has actively engaged with all local representatives since its formation and in fact there were two public meetings held within four days.

Prior to the public meeting on the 17th January, Deputy Nash inadvertently attended a committee meeting where the pledge and protocol was read aloud, discussed and finalised for the management of the pledge and for the appearance of all five Louth TDS on our platform.

At this committee meeting Deputy Nash stated that he was not in agreement with our protocol and signing of a pledge and confirmed that he would not sign the document.

The first public meeting held on the 17th January was addressed by a number of Labour and Fine Gael representatives, amongst those that spoke during our public meeting in the Barbican Centre was Minister Fergus O'dowd, Deputy Gerald Nash, the Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr. Kevin Callan, Cllr. Richie Culhane, Cllr. Paul Bell and Cllr. Thomas Byrne. Councillor Micheál O'dowd was in attendance but indicated that he did not wish to speak.

This pledge of support was forwarded to all five Louth TDS via email on the 19th January; this protocol regarding the pledge was clearly explained to all TDS prior to speaking at the Rally that the pledge of support must be signed by each one of them.

Initially, concern was expressed by many of the March and Rally organising committee about allowing any politicians on the platform however a compromise was agreed.

The pledge and protocol would go ahead on a condition that whoever did not sign did not speak at the March and Rally. All five TDS had plenty of notice of the pledge as it was read out at the previous public meetings and a copy of the wording was forwarded to all five Louth TDS three days prior to the March & Rally.

It should also be noted that during a live LMFM debate with Minister O'dowd, and Deputy Gerald Nash, one day before our public rally, Cllr. Frank Godfrey, co-ordinator of our Save the Cottage Hospital committee stated quite clearly to both Deputies ' There will be a pledge there for TD'S to sign and those that don't sign in support of keeping the Cottage Hospital open will not be allowed to speak' The Mayor Kevin Callan confirmed to your reporter that he was aware of the pledge.

To state in your newspaper that there was some kind of an ambush and that when the TD'S got up on the platform at the Rally that that was the first that they heard about the pledge. The evidence just does not support such an assertion.

It should be noted that the pledge did not require any TD to resign but asked them to pledge their support to maintain the services of the Cottage Hospital and to vote against any measures aimed at its closure.

It also sought them to vote in favour of any proposal or motion put forward in the Dail supporting the retention of public services and most importantly the care for our elderly at the Cottage Hospital.

As a member of the Save the Cottage Hospital Committee and an appointed steward of the March and Rally, it was not unexpected that government TDS who had expressed unease at the protocol, would simply attend the March but would not attend the speeches in the second part of the protest.

I am now of the opinion that the three Louth TDS in question chose to disregard the protocol the committee had in place for the event and used the opportunity as a political stunt.

They certainly achieved this and were given ample national media attention for them to deliver their point of view and cloud the real issue and that is the retention of all public services at the Drogheda Cottage Hospital.

There was even more unchallenged airtime afterwards on LMFM and an outrageous banner front page headline in the Drogheda Independent.

All three TDS on that Saturday afternoon took to our platform in the full knowledge that they had no intention of signing our pledge to save the Cottage Hospital.

By coming up and then taking the mike those three TDS clearly showed to those who remained at the rally that they would not sign nor put on written public record their commitment to support the maintenance of services at the Cottage Hospital.

The organising committee had agreed if any politicians' who refused to sign our pledge of commitment to save our Cottage Hospital, their true resolve must be questioned and therefore they should not be afforded the opportunity to use our platform to deliver their own agenda.

Saturday 21st. January was the first mass public opportunity for ordinary people to come out and to express their views in a safe, organised and disciplined manner and I believe we did achieve that goal.

I would like to put on public record that the organising committee had and still hold a democratic right to organise a legally compliant march and rally and to put in place whatever protocols as necessary, all of which should be free from any political interference or unfair comment from the media either before, during or after the march and rally.

Sadly, I believe the Save the Cottage Hospital Committee did not get a fair airing and a right to reply before all the various media cast so much damage upon us.

The save the Drogheda Cottage Hospital campaign must and will continue even more determined than ever and the ordinary people can be assured that we as a committee will continue to work to Save the Drogheda Cottage Hospital and we may call on everyone again to march in support of those who need our help and support at such a vulnerable time in their lives.

Is feidir linn.

Cllr. Ken O Heiligh