The European Commission is to propose a temporary ban on imports of wild birds from the rest of the world.
This follows confirmation at the weekend that a parrot in quarantine in Britain that died had the H5N1 strain of avian flu.
Meanwhile, the Health Service Executive has said the risk to the human population from avian influenza is low.
The HSE has said pandemic flu was different from ordinary seasonal flu and different from avian influenza.
In its first formal briefing on the issue, it said that even if the H5N1 strain of avian flu were to arrive in Ireland, it would not increase the chances of a human flu pandemic here.
