Strabane snubin DARD move

STRABANE was snubbed as the site for the new Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) headquarters despite outscoring everywhere in Northern Ireland, including Ballykelly, on a range of criteria prior to the announcement.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Nov 2012, 16:47 BST

DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill revealed that Strabane scored 73 across a defined set of criteria including various socio-economic factors such things as unemployment levels, deprivation and earnings levels, as well as practical considerations such as the number of public sector and civil service jobs.

Limavady scored only 59, whilst Londonderry wasn’t even in the running with just 51.

The Minister said a shortlist of 23 potential locations were scored across Northern Ireland.

She was asked if the proximity to other DARD services, such as the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), was considered in making the decision.

“With the availability of modern information and communication technology, the proximity to other DARD services was not considered as a factor which should influence the decision on the location of the new Headquarters,” the Minister stated.