South Down MLA Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) has expressed “dismay” and “anger” at revelations that the South Eastern Health Trust has spent more than £1million on private taxi hire in the last year.
In a reply to Mr Hazzard at the Assembly, Health Minister Jim Wells confirmed that taxi spend had increased by more than £70,000 in 2013/2014 to a total of £1.07million.
Mr Hazzard said: “At a time when the South Eastern HSC Trust are telling the South Down community to swallow hard when it comes to cuts in vital health services it is disgusting that they continue to waste such resources on hiring private taxis.
“The South Eastern HSC Trust need to utilise the excellent transport services within the Health service to meet demands. If we need to have a conversation about expanding this service then so be it.
“The increasing expenditure on privatising transport within the Trust is a false economy and should be immediately scaled back.
“I have now asked Minister Wells to go back to the Trust directors and demand that this misuse of public funds is addressed as a priority.”
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