Theresa Villiers was at Aldergrove for a briefing on the military support for the Department for Agriculture & Rural Development’s response to the recent severe weather. She also had a chance to see the helicopter that is dropping food for animals stranded by the heavy snow.
She said:
The extreme weather conditions have had a devastating effect on Northern Ireland’s famers and it’s absolutely vital that we provide any support we can. So I’m extremely pleased that we were able to answer the Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill’s request for a military helicopter to get food on the ground for stranded animals. It is beginning work this afternoon, and a search helicopter is being deployed to help trace missing livestock.
We continue to keep the situation under close watch and will do all we can to respond to requests to help local communities which are struggling with blocked roads and transport issues. The Police and mountain rescue teams are also doing all they can to reach isolated farms.