Jobs in 2012 the priority for council head

Jobs in 2012 the priority for council head

4 January 2012

DOWN Council chairman Dermot Curran has outlined his priorities for the New Year.

While he admits 2012 could be another tough one for home and business owners, he hopes to be successful in his quest to retain existing jobs and attract new ones to the district.

Councillor Curran said one of his top priorities will be retaining the jobs of 33 finance staff based at the Downshire Hospital in Downpatrick.

Under a proposed radical shake-up of administration services across the Province’s health service, the local staff face the prospect of a daily 110-mile round trip to Ballymena next October.

The Business Services Organisation (BSO) has drawn up plans for a major reshuffle of a raft of services aimed at saving an estimated £100m over the next 10 years. It’s various proposals are currently out to public consultation.

Local politicians are seeking a meeting with Health Minister Edwin Poots to discuss their concerns about the proposal to move staff from Downpatrick with a Down Council delegation set to meet him being spearheaded by the council chairman.

“These jobs are crucially important for the local economy and one of the issues which will be put to Mr. Poots is why the Downshire site wasn’t chosen as one of the new centres of excellence the BSO wants to create,” he continued.

Councillor Curran also wants more time and effort invested in promoting what the area has to offer to potential investors and wants Down Council to do more to help create new job opportunities.

“We can’t sit back and wait for something to happen. We have to make it happen,” he declared. “I know times are hard, but we need to be as positive as we can.

“I have met a number of local people with ideas about job creation and would like them to meet with Down Council officials to see how their various suggestions could be progressed.”