11 STAFF working for the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure could be made redundant.

Yesterday the department began informal consultation with 34 members of staff who work in the public transport division.

It said it had no choice but to consider job cuts as it looked to find solutions to the financial difficulties that the department expects to face.

In a statement issued by the department it said: "The department has no option but to consider making savings from salaries budgets."

Staff were told that initially a group of up to 11 staff could be affected.

According to the department it is government policy that once a department considers redundancy to be a possibility it must inform its staff of this.

Letters were given to all staff affected on Monday notifying them of the consultation meeting and arrangements were made for staff who were on leave to be notified.

The department has rejected claims from the Whitley Council that the letter said that staff were "surplus to requirements".

In the statement the department reiterated that "all that can possibly be done to avoid redundancies will be done".

It also offered support to all affected staff and said it would be working with the unions in a constructive way.

The full time officer of the union that represents the vast majority of potentially affected staff was informed of the situation on January 17.