Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, has welcomed the commitment to an Air Ambulance for Northern Ireoland.
He said: “At long last Northern Ireland will have in place what other parts of the UK and ROI have and that is an Air Ambulance that can and will save lives every year.
“As the Member of Parliament for Strangford and having a constituency that is both urban and rural, the direct benefit for the rural communities of the Ards Peninsula, and Ballygowan and Comber and Saintfield are clearly massive.
“Instant access to a first-class air ambulance will be the difference between life and death. A helicopter that brings doctors and medical assistance right to your door step on the farms, in the country lanes and roads , fast medical help and transportation to hospitals is essential in areas that are isolated and rural.
“The provision of an air ambulance brings life saving to every part of Strangford and that has just got to be good news for us all. Well done to all of those involved.”