The SDLP has said the "lights have finally been switched on" in the Sinn Féin ministerial offices after the Agricultural Minister backed the Environment Minister's plan to extend some of the flood relief to businesses.

SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly said Agricultural Minister Michelle O'Neill has "at last seen sense".

She said: "The Agriculture Minister has at last seen sense and is backing Mark H Durkan's plan to extend relief to businesses which have up to now been abandoned by his Executive colleagues.

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"That said, I question why the Minister did not endorse this idea at the emergency Executive meeting which could have meant businesses in need would have received help by now.

"The benefits of the plan were clear and obviously sound as she is now claiming it as her own. Either this is plagiarism politics of the highest order or it just took time to sink in.

"I have first-hand knowledge of the impact the delay in action has had on businesses and knowing that my colleague had suggested a course of action as far back as the 23rd December is galling.

"Indeed had it not been for Minister Durkan continually highlighting that a flood fund of £1.3m had been supplied by Westminster, there would have been no impetus for an emergency meeting and no guarantee that this money would have been used to help people in their hour of need."

(CD)