Another blow for County Derry as government announces 300 DVA jobs are to go

300 jobs are to go at the Driver and Vehicle Agency in Coleraine.

The news was announced this morning.

It is understood the work will be moved to Swansea.

Speaking following the announcement, SDLP MLA, John Dallat, said workers at the County Derry offices are ‘devastated’.

“The workers feel abandoned, let down and trampled upon.   At the minute they have a very low opinion of what passes as democracy when every elected representative opposed the loss of over 300 jobs in Coleraine," Mr Dallat said.

“There are no depths the British government will not stoop to when they want to offload bad news involving Northern Ireland.  There are no limits to the disrespect they are prepared to show to civil servants who have served the public faithfully through the darkest days of the troubles and since.

“This announcement was clearly planned when they knew Mark H Durkan the Minister for the Environment was on his way to America for the Saint Patrick’s Day events.  They did it when they knew that just about everyone was away.

 “In the days ahead we have to pick up the pieces, see what is available and hope that there is more than the advice offered to workers this morning which is to remind them of the availability of Welfare Support Services.”