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Northern Ireland Assembly committee gets weather briefing NI agriculture committee to hold emergency weather meeting
(about 3 hours later)
The assembly agriculture committee is to be briefed later on the department's response to the impact the severe weather has had on NI farmers. The assembly agriculture committee is to hold an emergency meeting to assess the damage caused to NI farms by the severe weather.
Snow drifts have hit many areas with the Glens of Antrim and parts of County Down particularly badly affected The committee will be briefed by the department of agriculture's permanent secretary.
Search operations are continuing for livestock missing in remote areas, and an Army helicopter has been delivering food supplies to stranded animals. Snow drifts have hit many areas; the Glens of Antrim and parts of County Down have been particularly badly affected.
An Irish army helicopter is also on stand-by to help, if needed. An Army helicopter has been delivering food supplies to stranded animals.
Thursday's meeting has been called by the vice-chair of the agriculture committee, Joe Byrne.Thursday's meeting has been called by the vice-chair of the agriculture committee, Joe Byrne.
"Every day that passes farmers are incurring more and more hardship and loss," Mr Byrne said. "Every day that passes, farmers are incurring more and more hardship and loss," Mr Byrne said.
"I called this emergency meeting so we can ensure responses to this crisis are co-ordinated and communicated as widely as possible and so we can discuss what immediate measures can be put in place to support farmers, alleviate the hardship of animals without feed and assist with the removal of livestock which has been lost as a result of the bitterly cold weather."I called this emergency meeting so we can ensure responses to this crisis are co-ordinated and communicated as widely as possible and so we can discuss what immediate measures can be put in place to support farmers, alleviate the hardship of animals without feed and assist with the removal of livestock which has been lost as a result of the bitterly cold weather.
"There are still parts of the north which are completely impassable and a number of farmers remain unable to get to their livestock."There are still parts of the north which are completely impassable and a number of farmers remain unable to get to their livestock.
"We must all work together to prevent this crisis escalating further and to provide as much support as we can to help the farmers who have been dealt a hard blow by this heavy snow fall"."We must all work together to prevent this crisis escalating further and to provide as much support as we can to help the farmers who have been dealt a hard blow by this heavy snow fall".
The Department of Agriculture's permanent secretary will brief the assembly committee.