Irwin raises DAERA Direct delay concerns

Mr Irwin said he had been contacted by a rising number of farmers who were waiting for lengthy periods on calls being answered and he welcomed the input of the minister in seeking resolutions.

Mr Irwin commented: “The Minister’s input on this has been important as he has explained the background to the difficulties that farmers are experiencing in using the service.

“I have had many conversations with farmers who are eager to see a return to normal service at their local DAERA Direct offices and I am pleased that Minister Poots has a determination to see this happen as restrictions start to lift.”

He continued: “I understand that this phone service is undertaken and operated by NI Direct and the pandemic has undeniably held back recruitment and capacity as there has been a much higher than normal call volume due to many services being conducted remotely.

“This in turn gives rise to more queries and more calls as people aren’t able to visit offices and services face to face.”

He continued: “The minister is certainly keen to see this disruption eased and in terms of the call handling capacity, hopes to see this resolved by NI Direct at the end of February.

“All eyes of course are on the restrictions and when they will be eased and the Minister has stated that immediate consideration will be given to the reopening of DAERA offices without appointments.

“That of course will be a huge help and a welcome development.”

He concluded: “It is vital for farmers that these services are running at full capacity to ensure queries are dealt with in a timely manner and that delays are minimised.

“Hopefully progress on these issues will be swift and I welcome again the efforts of the minister in this regard.”