Council backing for motion calling for CAR-T cell therapy access

The motion was bought by Newry SDLP councillor Killian Feehan, calling on Health departments and ministers on both sides of the border to facilitate the change in policy.

It follows the death of local woman Catherine Sherry, who passed away earlier this year in King’s College Hospital, London, while receiving CAR-T treatment.

Cllr Feehan said: “I must commend the incredible strength and bravery of Fergal Sherry and his and Catherine’s sons who have been campaigning for CAR-T cell treatment to be made available to patients in the North at St James’s Hospital in Dublin.

“I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it was to lose their wife and mother in such circumstances, but for it to happen so far away from home undoubtedly made that even more difficult.”

He called on his fellow councillors “to give their full support to this campaign and show their solidarity. Nobody should have to go through the experience of the Sherry family, particularly when this treatment is available so close to home”.

He continued: “We have seen the success of cross-border cancer services in the past, allowing patients to access care closer to home and within reach of their families. I believe we need to see the same approach with CAR-T cell therapy.

"The SDLP is urging Health Ministers Mike Nesbitt and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to begin urgent negotiations to make the changes necessary so that patients can access this treatment in Ireland, without having to travel long distances, and with the support of their family around them.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s representatives in Newry and Armagh welcomed the motion and have reiterated their full support for the Sherry family’s campaign to ensure no other family endures the same trauma and separation.

Speaking after the motion passed, Councillor Martin Hearty said: “We in Sinn Féin fully support and welcome this motion, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Sherry family in their campaign for the urgent delivery of CAR T-cell therapy on an all-island basis.

"This is about fairness, dignity, and compassion. No family should have to travel hundreds of miles — and be torn apart — in order to access life-saving care that is already available elsewhere on this island.

"Catherine Sherry’s story is deeply moving. A devoted mother, she was forced to travel to London for treatment, separated from her three young sons at a time they needed each other most. That is simply unacceptable.

"Her husband Fergal has shown immense bravery in bringing their family’s experience to public attention. His strength and dignity are remarkable, and his campaign is not only in memory of Catherine — it’s a fight for better care for everyone.”

Dáire Hughes MP added: “This motion reflects a growing recognition that our healthcare systems must work together across this island to deliver for patients, both north and south.

"CAR T-cell therapy is available in Dublin, and this service should be available to patients in the north too.

"We are calling on Ministers, both north and south, to take immediate steps to ensure this treatment is made accessible on an all-island basis — whether through existing cross-border arrangements or new collaborative frameworks.

"The Good Friday Agreement established healthcare as a key area for north/ south cooperation. More than two decades on, that promise has still not been fulfilled.

"Sinn Féin will continue to raise Catherine’s case at every level — including in the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee — and we will work to ensure the health needs of all communities are met and delivered through an all-island collaborative approach to healthcare."