Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson has slammed the Sinn Fein Minister of Agriculture Michelle O'Neill for displaying what she described as a 'don't care' attitude to Farmers by closing her Private Office Inbox over the summer months. 

Commenting Mrs Dobson said: "Farming doesn't just stop over the summer months, so why should the Minister and I would urge her to immediately reopen her inbox to correspondence from farmers. 

"With the mountain of paperwork and bureaucracy generated by her Department farmers often need answers to their questions – the Minister should not be closing her office to the needs of farmers at any time. 

"Earlier this week I emailed the Minister's Private Office at Dundonald House, as I do on behalf of my constituents on a regular basis, but this time I received an 'Out of Office' reply to say that 'The Minister's box is now closed and will re-open on Friday 15 August 2014.' 

"By putting off responding to correspondence until at least the middle of August the Minister is displaying a cavalier attitude to the needs of our farmers. 

"The hard work on the farm goes on, so too should the work of her private office and I would call on the Minister to immediately reopen her inbox to correspondence from farmers.  

"You would think with the thousands upon thousands of pounds which has been spent to encourage farmers to go online that the last thing the Minister should be doing is deferring emails from the farmers.

"The Assembly may well be in summer recess but I, like many MLA's, am working in my constituency office representing the needs of my constituents, including local farmers.  

"I have received considerable correspondence from other Ministers in recent days, including the Minister of Regional Development Danny Kennedy, and know that they are continuing to take their responsibilities seriously over the summer months.  

"It is disappointing that the Minister of Agriculture has chosen to defer her correspondence with an 'Out of Office' response."