Office is ‘fit forpurpose’

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland said the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) routinely surveys the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) office estate to ensure that the buildings are maintained to a ‘fit for purpose’ standard.

He made the comments in response to Strabane Sinn Féin MLA Michaela Boyle who has claimed that the ‘downgrade’ of her local Social Security office to a ‘front-line office only’ and the removal of 37 posts to a centralised office in Londonderry will compound the Tyrone town’s dearth of civil service jobs.

The SSA last year announced changes to the operation of their local office network. The Customer First Initiative, now into its third phase, will see the centralisation of benefit processing in a number offices in Belfast and Londonderry.

Ms Boyle asked the Minister to provide an estimate of the cost of bringing the SSA Office in Foyle up to a ‘fit for purpose’ standard, to accommodate the planned centralisation of Customer First functions within the Western District.

He responded: “The SSA Office in Foyle is deemed ‘fit for purpose’ to accommodate the planned centralisation of Customer First and consequently there are no anticipated additional costs.”