O’Neill confirms Executive approval for headquarters move to the North West The Agriculture Minister has confirmed that the Forest Service headquarters will be moved to Fermanagh next year.

Michelle O’Neill also announced that the Northern Ireland Executive had supported plans to relocate the headquarters of DARD to Ballykelly on the former Shackleton Barracks site.

The Minister said: “Now that this approval has been received we will now press on with the necessary detailed design work with the intention of letting a contract to begin the building work by the end of 2015 for completion late 2017. The plan is to make the move in two phases; the first by the end of 2017 and the remainder by the end of 2020.” She added: “Consistent with the Executive’s commitment to relocate to a rural area, this move to Ballykelly forms part of a broader programme of relocations that is planning for Forest Service being headquartered in Fermanagh and Fisheries Division in Downpatrick by June 2015 and Rivers Agency headquartered in the Loughry Campus of the College of Agri Food and Rural Enterprise by March 2016.” Explaining the importance of these moves, the Minister said: “Not only does this decision facilitate meeting my Programme for Government target to advance the relocation of DARD’s Headquarters to a rural location but I also expect these moves to deliver real social and economic improvement in rural areas while enhancing the identification of the Department with the rural community.”