To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the bereavement support services available to families who have lost loved ones in farm related accidents.

The loss of a loved one is a particularly traumatic time for any family and certainly so in the case of the death of a family member as a result of a farm-related accident. I fully recognise the importance and need for bereavement support services at these particularly difficult times.

The charity Rural Support is recognised across the agri-food industry for the excellent support service they provide and in particular the delivery of the telephone Helpline and signposting service for farmers and rural dwellers that may be in emotional distress.

All Rural Support front facing staff, mentors and volunteers are Mental Health First Aid, Suicide Awareness, Trauma Informed Care, and CRUSE bereavement trained. The organisation currently has three staff who are qualified and experienced counsellors/coaches and three mentors with psychotherapy/counselling backgrounds (including trauma specialisms) on its mentoring team.

Rural Support has recently established the Life Beyond bereavement/loss and farming accident survival service (in partnership with Embrace FARM, the farm accident support network in the Republic of Ireland) which supports those who have lost a loved one through suicide, accidental death, unexpected or expected death. Life Beyond provides a holistic programme of services in Northern Ireland including business/financial mentoring/support; bereavement counselling and trauma support for up to a year post incident.

My Department has provided funding of over £660,000 to Rural Support over the past three years and I am committed to continuing to support the work of this charity.