Council delegation in talks with Minister over proposed Job Centre closure

A meeting has taken place to discuss the proposals to close the Cookstown Social Security Office and Job Centre.

The delegation from Mid Ulster District Council has met with the Minister for Communities, Paul Givan.

The Department's consultation exercise ended yesterday (Sunday 13th November).

It's proposed to move face to face services to branches in Dungannon and Magherafelt.

The delegation outlined the impact that the proposed closure would have on the most vulnerable in the Cookstown area.

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 Cookstown Social Security Office and Job Centre consultation until he had met with Council and given due consideration to equality and rural needs issues.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Cllr Trevor Wilson and Cllrs Tony Quinn, Ronan McGinley, Wilbert Buchanan and Cathal Mallaghan, and the Council’s Chief Executive Anthony Tohill and Director for Business and Communities Adrian McCreesh travelled to Stormont last week.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Cllr Trevor Wilson says they have 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," he explains.

"In response to the concerns presented, the Minister stated that this is part of an efficiency exercise where hard decisions have to be made. He did ask for other solutions from the Council on this matter but presently he did not commit to a suspension to the closure of Cookstown Social Security Office and Job Centre consultation," adds Cllr Wilson.