All marts in the Republic of Ireland have been suspended because of Britain's foot-and-mouth crisis. Movement restrictions have been imposed on 100 Northern Ireland farms.
All 100 farms in the North will be investigated daily to monitor animals recently imported from Britain in an effort to ensure the disease does not take hold in Northern Ireland. British authorities established that 25,000 animals passed through three British marts which handled diseased animals before the government banned movement of animals.
The Northern authorities have been trying to trace all animals imported there from Britain. To date, no cases have been uncovered, a spokeswoman said.
As the number of confirmed cases of the disease jumped to 12 in Britain, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has also banned the import of used farm machinery from Britain and has told farmers to restrict their animals' movement and their own movements.
Stricter controls were placed at airports and seaports yesterday following complaints by organisations representing farmers which demanded a ban on the import of all animals into the Republic.
Authorities here are anxiously awaiting the results of tests on animals at an Anglesea abattoir, 15 miles from Holyhead where thousands of Irish fans are headed this weekend for the rugby clash with Wales.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman said last night it may ask Irish fans to stay at home and watch the game on television rather than risk bringing the disease back here should the first Welsh case of FMD be confirmed.
There is growing concern here that the disease is creeping closer to the west coast of Britain and that it could be carried here on easterly winds. Winds have moved around to the north/north-east in the past few days and seem set to continue from that direction.
While foot-and-mouth rarely kills animals, it causes blisters on their feet and mouths and sometimes causes them to lose weight, thereby reducing their value. If foot-and-mouth spread to Ireland it could seriously affect our £5 billion food and drink export market.
In a statement late last evening the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, asked farmers to restrict access to their holdings to one entrance/exit point and to ensure that a blanket of disinfected straw was placed there.
"I am also asking co-operatives, dairies, veterinary practices and the many other undertakings which interact with farmer clients to do likewise," the Minister said.
He said he was also asking farm and other organisations and rural dwellers generally to postpone, where possible, meetings which would cause significant numbers of farmers to gather.
Fine Gael's spokesman on agriculture, Mr Alan Dukes, criticised what he said were insufficient controls at ports and airports and called for an emergency team to ensure no potentially infected material gets into the State.
Following complaints from TDs travelling to the British-Irish Interparliamentary conference in Killarney that there were no disinfectant mats at Cork Airport, the Department said the mats had now been put in place and air travellers had to pass over mats at Farranfore airport in Co Kerry.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is to travel to Wales on Thursday for a series of engagements. A spokesman said last night Mr Ahern was conscious of the foot-and-mouth disease risk but as of now the visit is going ahead. The Cabinet is due to discuss the crisis at its meeting this morning.