The Minister for Agriculture has said that foot and mouth restrictions on many low-risk activities are about to be lifted. Following a report from an advisory committee, Joe Walsh has given the go-ahead for conferences, concerts and indoor sports. From next week GAA, golf, soccer and rugby can proceed, but the ban remains on hill walking, racing and animal movements. All the curbs on agriculture remain, as do the patrols along the border. Fishing involving movement on land is out, but deep-sea fishing has been approved. Access to farmland is discouraged but public parks may be opened.
Events have been graded into three categories. With immediate effect, gatherings of people with no access to land or livestock can go ahead such as cinema, conferences and indoor sport. Secondly outdoor events on land involving people only can proceed from next Friday, March 23. This includes GAA, rugby, soccer and golf - provided animals have not been on the land since 1 February. But, thirdly, the ban stays on high-risk events such as horse and dog racing, showjumping and livestock shows.
The Irish Hotels Federation has welcomed today's announcement but it has called on Government to fund a major marketing campaign to reassure potential visitors that Ireland is free from the disease.
Meanwhile in the West today, restrictions were being lifted on 149 farms which were linked to the investigation into the Kepak at Athleague. Department of Agriculture veterinary officers in Roscommon said that none of the animals on the farms were showing any signs of the disease, but they appealed to farmers in the region to maintain an exceptionally high level of vigilance over the coming weeks.
The Canadian government has announced that it is releasing for sale all food products imported from the EU which had been detained because of foot and mouth. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also said it is relaxing import conditions from most EU countries.
In another development, the Speaker of the Northern Assembly, Lord Alderdice, has insisted that a St Patrick's Day reception for 150 people at Stormont will not involve any risk of breaching the foot and mouth restrictions. He described demands for the cancellation of tomorrow's event as "flap and panic". The deputy chairman of the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, George Savage, had said that everyone should stand by the rules and the reception should be called off.
