Concerns about transfer of ESA appeals to Strabane Courthouse not addressed-Boyle West Tyrone Sinn Féin MLA Michaela Boyle says that the Appeals Service have failed to addressed serious concerns she has raised about the transfer of ESA Appeals to Strabane Courthouse as appellants Sinn Féin is representing are now beginning to receive notifications that their cases are to be heard at the Derry Road venue as opposed to Strabane Enterprise Agency at Orchard Road as a from the beginning of April. She said, “While I can understand the financial rationale behind the Department of Justice’s decision to transfer ESA Appeals to court buildings across the north in an effort to reduce the costs of the benefits appeals process, as well as helping to sustain the viability of local courthouse, it is clear that little or no effort has been made by the Department or the Appeals Service to address the genuine concerns that I, and others, have raised about this change of venue. “In a meeting with 3 Senior Appeal Service Representatives last June, as part of their consultation process into the proposed change of venue to Strabane Courthouse, I raised a wide range of concerns asking that they be addressed. “Having to go to an ESA Appeal is a daunting enough ordeal for people who have varying degrees of either mental health/physical problems or a combination of both but the thought of having to go into a Courthouse will increase the stress levels involved in having to face this ordeal even further. “People are firstly concerned about perceptions. They are worried that people will think that they ‘are up in court for something’ if they are seen entering the Courthouse and are further intimidated by having to enter such a heavily fortified building. In my meeting with the Appeals Service officials I told them that that the building not only needs demilitarised but that prominent signage needs to be displayed identifying that the Courthouse is also now being used as a Benefits Appeal Hearing Centre. However, it is clear that as the Appeals Service move to proceed with ESA Appeals at the Courthouse nothing has yet been done to address these concerns. “During this meeting with the Appeals Service, I also pointed out the inadequacy of car-parking in and around the courthouse particularly for all those Appellants who have considerable physical problems. Once again, I am disappointed that no action has been taken to accommodate this concern with the information notes being provided to telling them that “There is no car parking at the courthouse, but there are a number of public car parks in the town centre. This non- arrangement is also completely unsatisfactory and I have now written to the Justice Minister David Ford and the Appeals Service requesting that all these genuine concerns be fully taken on board and that moves be made to address them.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 21:50:14 +0000
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