The Department of Agriculture’s Inishkeen House in Enniskillen is not proving popular with Belfast-based forestry staff
IN FIGURES obtained by the Herald it can been exclusively revealed that only 20% of Forest Service staff in Dundonald House in Belfast are willing to move to the new headquarters in Fermanagh.
The results of a Freedom of Information request show that a questionnaire was carried out in the Belfast office and 60 staff were surveyed. 56 staff returned completed questionnaires answering the question: ‘Would you be willing to remain in your current post when it moves to the new headquarters in Co Fermanagh?’
The shocking figures reveal that only 11 of the 56, or 20% of staff who responded said ‘Yes’ to the question. 46% of staff (26) said ‘No’ to the question, while a further 19 said ‘Maybe’, indicating that 80% of staff were at the very least unsure over a move to Fermanagh.
Local MLA Tom Elliott said he wasn’t surprised by the figures.
“I’m not really surprised to be honest. If people are based in Belfast they’re not going to want to move to jobs in Fermanagh, that’s just how life is.”
Mr Elliott does not believe the survey results will stand in the way of 65 jobs being relocated to Inishkeen House in Enniskillen.
“It could be a stumbling block, but it shouldn’t be. It is a very small number when you compare the number moving to Ballykelly in the main department (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development).
“It is much easier to move small numbers of staff and that’s why I have always been keen to have agencies move rather than full headquarters. In the current scheme there shouldn’t be a blockage.”
Back at the start of September Agriculture Minister confirmed the proposed move of 65 jobs to Inishkeen House in Enniskillen was on track for completion by June 2015 and Mr Elliott stated his understanding that this still was the case.
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