AN elderly man had to be carried upstairs to Down Leisure Centre’s Vitality Suite due to a lift being out of order, a council committee has been told.
Slieve Croob councillor Jim Brennan (Sinn Féin) made the claim at Monday’s Active and Healthy Communities Committee meeting, during which it was also confirmed that the lift – which links the health suite to the centre’s pool – has not been operational for over six months.
Conor Galbraith (SDLP, Downpatrick) initially raised the issue.
“The lift to the Vitality Suite was out for quite a while there,” he said.
“Has there been any updates on that?
“Has it been repaired or is it still to be repaired?” Responding, Conor Haughey, Healthy Living assistant director, confirmed that the lift remained out of order.
“We met with the contractor this morning, in regard to parts,” he continued.
“They are having difficulty getting specialised parts for the lift, and myself and the assistant director over Maintenance are going to be meeting with them this week, to try to speed it up, and we will communicate back how quickly, and when, it is going to reopen again.”
Cllr Brennan then stated: “I contacted the council, I think maybe about three or four weeks ago, when a young man in Drumaness told me he had to carry an elderly man upstairs from the pool.
“I was asked to escalate it – I spoke to the manager and I said, ‘How long has it been out?’.
“He said, ‘I’ve only been here for three months, and I have never seen the lift work’.
“Is it years now that this has been out of action?”
Mr Haughey replied: “The exact time I wouldn’t be clear on, but it has been quite a while that it has been broken.
“They have been operating manually up the staircase, but anybody with disabilities will use the other lift, the main lift at the front.
“It is not the best solution.”
