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<p>The Department continues to improve the support offered to our Service personnel,
their families and veterans through engagement with statutory providers and the charitable
sector with a view to ensuring none are disadvantaged through service in or living
in Northern Ireland (NI). The recent launch of the Veterans' Gateway is a positive
example of developing this collaborative approach. In addition, the bespoke Ulster
Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Aftercare Service provides support to those personnel
referred through the regional Personnel Recovery Unit within 38 (Irish) Brigade.</p><p>Any
veteran whose needs are not met by statutory bodies or the charitable sector is looked
after by a Veterans' Support Office (VSO), linked to each of the veterans champions
established in every local authority. There is an intention to provide additional
resources to strengthen the VSOs and improve NI's capacity to identify projects that
could draw from the Covenant Fund.</p><p>A further update on our initiatives in NI
will be published in the next Covenant Annual Report to Parliament in December 2017.</p>
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