Emergency legislation to fight the threat of foot and mouth, which was rushed through the Oireachtas in the past two days, is expected to become law tomorrow. The latest results from tests on sheep in Louth and Carlow have proved negative. However, the Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, has described as "frightening" the rising number of outbreaks in Britain and said that it would be dangerous to relax any of the controls here.
Meanwhile, Gardaí in Monaghan are interviewing a livestock dealer from the Border area in connection with the transportation of sheep from the North to counties Mayo and Roscommon. Gardaí say that he is being questioned in connection with the delivery of a consignment of 306 sheep from Market Hill in Armagh to a farm near Claremorris. The sheep were subsequently slaughtered as a precautionary measure.
This morning, a flock of 176 sheep was slaughtered on a farm in County Roscommon as a further precaution to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth in this country. The animals were culled because the stomach contents of sheep from Northern Ireland, which were processed at the Kepak Plant in Athleague, were found on the farm.
Veterinary staff from the Department of Agriculture moved onto the farm a few miles from Roscommon town this morning and slaughtered the sheep as part of an ongoing operation linked to the Kepak Plant. The Department discovered that the stomach contents of the consignment of 248 suspect sheep, which were processed at Kepak two weeks ago, had been delivered to a farm where they were to spread as a fertiliser. The sheep, which are at the centre of an international investigation, are believed to have originated in Carlisle.
They were taken from Northern Ireland to the Atheague plant on 20 February, processed and immediately exported to France. The Department said that they showed no signs of foot and mouth. The contents of their stomachs subsequently made their way to the Roscommon farm. The material was still in a compost heap when the inspectors arrived. They immediately disinfected it and plans are now being made to dispose of it safely. The spreading the stomach contents known as "belly grass" is a common practice on farms.
A Department spokesman said that it was purely precautionary and was part of the ongoing nationwide campaigning to take every possible step to see that foot and mouth does not spread here. This brings to 3,000 the number of cattle and sheep that have been slaughtered at six locations around the country since the current emergency developed.
The Irish Farmers’ Association has said that this country must remain absolutely vigilant against foot and mouth disease in light of the situation in Britain. New restrictions on the movement of horses came into operation at midnight. The Dáil is due to discuss new curbs on smuggling and the regulation of animal trading later today.
With the number of outbreaks of foot and mouth in Britain now at 106, Teagasc say that the rampant spread in the UK remains a major threat to Ireland, and there can be no relaxation of the rigid controls.
Teagasc, the state farm advisory agency, appealed to farmers not to deviate from the strict animal movement permit systems announced over the past few days. Kevin O'Farrell, co-ordinator of the Teagasc control programme, said that if no further outbreak occurs in the North, we must wait at least a further ten days before we can conclude that the country if free of foot and mouth.
Mr O'Farrell insisted that the national alert must continue for at least a month after the last outbreak in Britain. He urged farmers to persist with their disinfection measures, adding fresh solution at least once a day. Slurry spreading is still not recommended.
Charlie Reilly, the president of ICSA, the Cattle and Stockowners Association said that the irresponsibility and lack of consideration shown by the British government must be dealt with the European Commission. He said that the UK was putting the agricultural status of other countries at risk by resuming some animal movements and not cancelling public events.
