1,000 civil servants want to move jobs to Downpatrick from Belfast

1,000 civil servants want to move jobs to Downpatrick from Belfast

10 June 2015

ONE thousand civil servants working in the greater Belfast area have expressed an interest in relocating to Downpatrick.

The confirmation comes as 50 fisheries staff, formerly based at the Department of Agriculture’s Dundonald headquarters. moved to new premises at the Downshire Civic Centre on Monday.

As part of its policy to decentralise public sector jobs, the Northern Ireland Executive recently undertook a major survey of civil service staff working across all government departments which resulted in 4,000 people registering an interest in relocating from the Belfast area. A quarter of those surveyed are keen to work in Downpatrick. 

Confirmation such a huge number of civil servants want to move to the town has been revealed by the Department of Agriculture which in addition to relocating 50 fisheries jobs to the Downshire site, is moving its current Belfast base to Ballykelly. The Forest Service is planning to move its headquarters to Enniskillen, while the Rivers Agency is relocating to Cookstown as part of a major decentralisation of public sector posts.

The civil servants who have expressed an interest in working in Downpatrick currently live in Down District and face the daily trek to and from the city at peak traffic times.

Agriculture Minister, Michelle O’Neill, said the relocation of the fisheries jobs to Downpatrick “reflects her commitment” to deliver the Stormont Executive’s pledge to decentralise civil service posts.

“Decentralisation offers significant opportunities for businesses in rural localities. Across four projects in my department, hundreds of civil servants will be coming to work, shop, eat and enjoy leisure pursuits in rural towns, whilst, at the same time, helping to create many more additional service and supply jobs and secure existing employment,” she said.

Local politicians have been campaigning for more civil service jobs to be relocated to Downpatrick and are keen to see all available office space at the Downshire Civic Centre fully utilised.

The complex is Northern Ireland’s first public sector campus and is already home to Newry, Mourne and Down Council and is used as a base by the Housing Executive and Fire and Rescue Service. Work is also currently underway on a new £10m district police station for the PSNI.

Confirmation that a huge number of civil servants want to work in Downpatrick provides politicians with the platform to now make a determined case to other leading government departments to relocate staff from Belfast.

South Down MLA Chris Hazzard is keen to see more government jobs relocated from Belfast to the constituency. He said “decentralisation makes sense in so many ways” and is delighted fisheries staff are now based in Downpatrick.

“The majority of the fishing fleet in the North is situated in Co. Down so it makes sense that the new office has opened at the Downshire site. We can expect the local economy to benefit from the additional jobs in the area by seeing a knock-on effect in the retail and food sectors,” he continued.

Mr Hazzard said Sinn Féin supports “sensible policies” that mean less traffic congestion in Belfast, less commuting times for people and a better work-life balance for people living in South Down.

He added: “Other government ministers need to follow the lead set by Michelle O’Neill and I will continue to lobby for more jobs to be decentralised to South Down so we can continue the task of building the local economy.”