Emotional day for County Hall staff as DVA closes doors

A member of the public taxes his car for the last time at the DVA Offices in Coleraine today (Thursday). In future cars will be able to taxed online or at any Post Office. Due to closing down and big job loses the main centre will be in Swansea.PICTURE MARK JAMIESON.

One staff member we spoke to described the day as ‘gutting’ and added that staff were ‘totally devastated’.

There is permanent work coming to the County Hall in Coleraine and the possibility of some temporary work, but when we spoke to a member of staff on Friday morning, she told The Times that ‘information was sketchy’.

“We know that there is some working coming. Personnel has been working hard, and we are grateful that there is something coming, it’s just not the not knowing when they jobs will come, and how many staff that will be re-employed.”

Amanda O’Donnell, manager of Enquiries Team Three and branch secretary for the Nipsa union, said members of the public had been sympathising with staff.

She said there had been no job losses at present, but said there was “uncertainty” as people wait to see where they will be redeployed.

A Department of Environment spokesman said that originally 344 staff had been affected but out of that, 266 posts were to become surplus and then

40 staff were to be retained in Coleraine.

SDLP MLA John Dallat said: “There is a need to continue the campaign for new jobs to replace the majority of the permanent posts which are now effectively lost.”