British authorities say they expect the culling of 160,000 turkeys at a farm in Suffolk to be completed later this evening because of the deadly H5N1 strain.
Mary Coughlan said the risk here is minimal in the context of the British case, and it is safe to eat poultry. She said current measures to protect against an outbreak here are more than adequate.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme, the Minister said there would be an all-island approach if the situation in Britain changes.
UK Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt described the risk of the disease spreading to humans as 'remote'.
Britain's Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has enlarged the restriction zone surrounding the area.
The authorities meanwhile have rejected newspaper claims that their response to the outbreak was slow.
