'Compassion should not be at the expense of our own people': DUP MLA criticises Michelle O'Neill's comments on NHS treatment for Gazans
Michelle O'Neill has been accused of "political posturing" over her desire to see as many Gazan children treated in Northern Irish hospitals as possible.
DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said the province's NHS is “in a state of crisis” and “our own people are being failed”, therefore it would be “unfair” to allow an influx of overseas patients into the system too.
It comes as the UK gets ready to accept a number of Gazan children amid what Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described as a “catastrophic failure of aid” into the territory, resulting in “starving babies, children too weak to stand: images that will stay with us for a lifetime”.
It was reported on Sunday that up to 300 children could be evacuated from Gaza and given NHS treatment in the UK (accompanied by parents and possibly siblings), with detailed plans to be announced within weeks.
The expectation is Northern Ireland will take a proportion of the overall number.
It is not clear if the patients are to be treated for malnutrition, conflict injuries, or other conditions.
In the wake of this news, First Minister Ms O'Neill told Cool FM on Monday “we too here must play our part ... I would advocate that we take as many people as we possibly can as long as we can provide them with the care that they need”.
She added: “This is about compassion for people that have gone through over a year now of horrific war... oh my goodness, we have to do everything we can to help these people.”
She “would like to think” the rest of the executive parties would back her stance, she said.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Buckley has now said: “This kind of announcement, made without detail, strategy, or realism, is nothing more than political posturing.
“Our health service is in a state of crisis. Waiting lists are at record highs, frontline staff are stretched beyond breaking point, and our own people are being failed by a system that simply cannot cope.
“It is not unkind to say: we must put our own house in order first. That is not a lack of compassion – it is basic responsibility. Government decisions must be grounded in reality, not driven by ideology or international headlines.
“If the first minister wants to help the people of Gaza, there are many ways to do so: through humanitarian aid, international partnerships, or support from countries in the region better placed to respond.
“But suggesting that Northern Ireland, with one of the most overstretched health systems in the UK, should now take on this additional responsibility is totally unrealistic and deeply unfair to our own citizens.
“The people who pay into this health service deserve to see it work for them. We should not be diverting resources – resources we already don't have – away from local patients in crisis to score international political points.
“Compassion should never come at the expense of our own people's care.”
TUV party chairman and Causeway councillor Allister Kyle also criticised Ms O'Neill saying: “We all know individuals who have waited months – sometimes years – for an appointment with a consultant.
“Yet in pursuit of her virtue-signalling agenda, Michelle O’Neill thinks our health system should accommodate patients from 3,000 miles away ... the number of people on waiting lists has grown year on year, and still she focuses on matters far removed from her responsibilities.”
Asked for a comment, the Executive Office referred the News Letter to Sinn Fein. A response is awaited.
When the UUP was asked to comment it referred the News Letter to the Department of Health.
It said: “The Department of Health is engaging with the UK government and the other devolved administrations on the possibility of providing medical treatment in the UK for children from Gaza.
“Discussions are ongoing regarding the possibility of accepting a small number of children. Any decision for Northern Ireland to participate in this scheme will require executive approval.”
More than 50,000 children are estimated to have been killed or injured in Gaza since October 2023, according to Unicef. Meanwhile the UN reported last week that “famine conditions are tightening their grip on the Gaza Strip”, with 63 malnutrition deaths in July.