People 'using snow as an excuse'

The minister said people were being mollycoddled

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has said too many people are using the weather as an excuse to take time off work.

He criticised what he called "the health and safety nuts" for mollycoddling people.

He also said parents should take more responsibility for getting their children to school.

Further heavy snow on Friday combined with freezing conditions, has resulted in the closure of many schools.

These are mostly in the greater Belfast area and in counties Down and Armagh.

"People may think I'm just a grumpy old man, but I can remember in 1963 when there was a heavy snowfall and it lay for weeks, walking to school and the snow was piled above your head but we still got there," said Mr Wilson.

"I think more and more people are getting fed up with the way the whole health and safety industry is trying to restrict our lives."

Frank Bunting of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation said Mr Wilson was wrong to criticise school closures.

"It's nothing to do with health and safety nuts - it's principals making professional judgements about the well-being of the children who are entrusted to them," he said.

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