Astonishment that £220,000 spent to upgrade Strabane Benefits Office earmarked for downgrade

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle has described as ‘astonishing’ information she has obtained that £220,000 was spent on the recent refurbishment of the Social Security Offices in Strabane and says that the revelation raises further questions about the rationale of plans to downgrade the facility to a front office only service as and from September.

The local MLA who obtained  information in response to a series of questions she has been submitting to DSD Minister Nelson Mc Causland on the issue said,

“It is astonishing that while £220,000 has been spent on this refurbishment, Social Security Agency (SSA) management where undoubtedly engaged, and most likely at an advanced stage, in a parallel process of planning to downgrade the Strabane Office to a front office only service.  

“The Minister states that the spend was necessary because a survey of the offices completed by the Department of Finance and Personnel in 2010/ 11 identified a number of health and safety, Disability Discrimination Act and maintenance requirements that required urgent attention. However, the nature of the refurbishment went far beyond what one would expect from such essential remedial works to include the provision of things like new carpets and plush new chairs in the canteen etc.  

“Mindful of the upgrade that has been made, the accumulated expertise of staff at the Strabane office; and the already disproportionately low number of civil service and public sector jobs in the district, I also asked the Minister to detail what consideration SSA management has given to locating at least one of the new telephony service functions at the Strabane Social Security Office. 

“However, apart from general commitments from him that Officials would work with staff and the Trade Union side to consider measures which may militate against any adverse impact such as reasonable daily travelling distances- it is clear that Management is not, at this point, prepared to consider such a practical proposition.  However, there is absolutely no reason why such an arrangement still cannot be achieved and I would call on senior management to consider all available options.”