In the foot and mouth crisis, France is due to announce a temporary ban tomorrow on all live imports of animals from Ireland. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh has said that a criminal investigation is underway into the movement of lambs through the north to County Roscommon last week. He also said that there were no indications whatsoever of any foot and mouth case in the Republic.
Management at the Kepak plant in Athleague in County Roscommon say that they are co-operating fully with the Department of Agriculture in its efforts to trace the origin a consignment of 248 lambs. The lambs were slaughtered at the factory last week and are believed to have come from Northern Ireland. Earlier, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture said that he was not satisfied that the full truth had emerged about the latest scare over foot and mouth disease.
Gardaí and the RUC are investigating the circumstances in which it is thought lambs from a farm in County Armagh were sold to the Kepak meat plant in County Roscommon last week. The farm has proven to contain an outbreak of the disease. Junior Minister, Noel Davern said that a person involved in the transaction had gone missing. It will take up to four days until the results of tests on that farm are known. Farms owned by 12 employees at the Kepak Plant in County Roscommon have been locked up with a blanket ban on animal movements.
The head of the Irish Farmers Association has said that apart from established trading posts the border with the North should be closed. Tom Parlon said that while it was encouraging that there has been no outbreak of foot and mouth disease here - the Government should continue to add more and more resources to patrol the 240 mile stretch. Earlier Mr Parlon said that questions had to be answered about the inspection procedures at the Roscommon plant. He said that the integrity of the whole Irish food industry appeared to have been jeopardised by a few individuals. In another reaction to the crisis, the body that represents hill walkers, climbers and ramblers throughout Ireland has told its members to stay away from the countryside until further notice. The Mountaineering Council of Ireland also urged all other recreational walkers to do the same. County Wexford has been described as being in the front line in the battle against foot and mouth because of its proximity to Wales. Farms in the area have been declared virtual 'No Go' areas by the IFA.
After a two hour cabinet meeting on the foot and mouth crisis, the Taoiseach has said that more army personnel are to be moved to the border to help prevent the spread of the disease into the Republic. Mr Ahern told RTÉ News that the Government would also utilise the civil defence organisation and others throughout the country to help enforce protective measures. At this moment, he said, there was no confirmed case of foot and mouth in the country and the Government would continue to do all it could to keep the disease out of the Republic. The Taoiseach appealed to everyone to work together to make sure that the regulations put in place by the Department of Agriculture were enforced.
Tonight's Government meeting reviewed the operation of the various preventative measures taken over the past few days. It also heard a report from the special Government task force set up to co-ordinate and monitor their implementation. The Dáil will sit tomorrow morning to take statements, and hear the latest from the Minister, Joe Walsh. The Ceann Comhairle has meanwhile announced that all school and similar visits to Leinster House are to be cancelled; two disinfection stations are also being installed in Leinster House.
The Minister for Agriculture said this afternoon that there were no indications whatsoever of any case of foot and mouth disease in the Republic. At a news conference this afternoon following the confirmation of the case in County Armagh, Mr Walsh said that there were no signs, no symptoms, no indications whatsoever of a case in the Republic.
Mary Harney said that there were 450 Gardaí and 200 Army personnel along the border and extra patrols had been laid on within the exclusion zone. She said that if foot and mouth breaks out, it would have catastrophic effects on the entire economy and on employment. She confirmed that sheep tested in Wexford for the disease had proven negative. Nevertheless, the 1,300 sheep recently imported from the UK are being slaughtered.
The Tánaiste later said that an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Republic could threaten the future of the Celtic Tiger economy. Ms Harney said that all the resources of the State were being made available to ensure that the disease does not spread into the Republic.
A spokesman for the AIBP meat factory in Nenagh in County Tipperary, which had been sealed off during tests for foot and mouth disease on a sick animal, has said that the plant has reopened for business. Following a post mortem examination on a bullock, the spokesman confirmed that there was no evidence of foot and mouth disease at the plant. The alarm was raised last night after an animal arrived at the factory with flu-like symptoms. It was thought that the animal may have had pneumonia, but the factory was closed as a precaution.
RTÉ News has learned that the sick beast, a bullock, came originally from a farm near Farranfore in County Kerry. It was bought by a dealer at Castleisland mart, and was subsequently held for fattening for a short period on lands at Bruff in County Limerick, before it was brought for slaughter to the AIPB plant in Nenagh. Two farms in Castleisland in County Kerry have been sealed off as a precautionary measure.
The President of ICMSA, Pat O'Rourke, has announced the establishment of a help line to address public fears in relation to the disease. The number is: 1800 266 267.
In a separate development, Irish racehorse trainers have decided not to travel to the Cheltenham racing festival. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association at the Curragh. They have also recommended that race-goers should not travel to Cheltenham.
