I’ve no plans to move DHSSPS jobs NW

He also explained why a statistic showing just two Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) staff are based in Londonderry is misleading.

SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood questioned why only two civil servants from his Department are based in Londonderry.

Mr Poots explained that over two dozen health staff based in Londonderry transferred to the Business Services Organisation (BSO) in 2004 but had remained in the city.

“Under the Review of Public Administration, 31 DHSSPS posts based in the Derry City Council area (Waterside House) were permanently transferred to the Health and Social Care (HSC) Business Services Organisation on 1 April 2009,” he said.

“In accordance with the DHSSPS RPA Staff Transfer Scheme, civil servants working in these posts were transferred to the employment of the HSC under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations 2006, while remaining in the same location,” he added.

Just two posts remained DHSSPS jobs post-transfer.