19% of DoE workers are County based

Outgoing Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: “My Department provides a wide range of public services to the local community and consequently its 2,560 staff are widely dispersed in approximately 50 offices and facilities in many cities and towns in Northern Ireland and also in locations such as country parks and historic monuments.

“Of these, 55 per cent are already located outside Belfast with 19 per cent located in Co Derry, 15 per centin Co Antrim, 7 per cent in Co Armagh, 6 per cent in each of Counties Down and Tyrone, and 2 per cent in Co Fermanagh.

“Consequently, there is significant dispersal, but clearly on a differential basis! I have also secured the dispersal of public sector jobs from the Greater Belfast area such as new posts in Derry for Road Traffic Examiners, the Carrier Bag Levy team and Planning’s Divisional Support Team and in Coleraine for Estate Management Branch.”

He said he expected the dispersal of 400 posts when the DoE’s planning functions are passed to local Councils.