Delegation fails to stall closure of Cookstown Jobs Centre

Paul Givan is understood to have told the delegation that it was part of an efficiency exercise where hard decisions have to be made.

The minister for communities did, however, ask for other solutions from the Council on the matter.

Mr Givan’s department was holding a consultation exercise - which ended on Sunday - on proposals put forward seeking to move face to face services to branches in Dungannon and Magherafelt.

At the September Council meeting it was unanimously resolved that Mid Ulster District Council write to Minister Givan requesting a suspension to the closure of the Cookstown office.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Cllr. Trevor Wilson said, “We are extremely concerned at the proposed closure of the Cookstown Social Security Office and put our concerns to the Minister in the strongest possible terms.

“We have also identified several flaws in the consultation document that contained inaccurate figures which were both misleading and disingenuous. The Council’s position is that it was and still is open for detail discussions with the department on these issues, and we continue to encourage those affected and in the sector to make their response to the Minister.”