The expert committee advising the Government on foot-and-mouth controls will issue recommendations on a possible easing of animal movements on and between farms on Monday next.
Yesterday, the committee, which is being chaired by Prof Michael Monaghan, UCD, met farmer organisations to discuss protocols to be put in place to facilitate safe movements.
It was also learned yesterday that tissue samples from a sheep on a farm in Duleek, Co Louth, had been sent to the Pirbright laboratory in Surrey as a precaution.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman said the move was part of a tracing operation which had been going on since February and was linked to sheep or people moving through Ardee Mart. "It is merely a precautionary move and, at this stage, there is no major concern about these samples," he said.
Following the meeting with Prof Monaghan, both the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association and the Irish Cattle Traders' and Stockowners' Association (ICTSA) said they were concerned that the issue would be delayed until Monday.
As Teagasc predicted at the beginning of the foot-and-mouth crisis, large volumes of stock are building up on farms because movement is allowed only from farm to slaughterhouse. No farm-to-farm deals or sales through marts are allowed.
The only other movements permitted are on the basis of animal welfare, where farms run out of feed and stock must be moved to prevent starvation. The problems have been compounded by late grass growth.
Mr Tom Parlon, president of the Irish Farmers' Association, said he was concerned about the delay in restoring some kind of normality to farming now that the State had been declared free of foot-and-mouth. ICMSA president Mr Pat O'Rourke said that while significant progress had been made at the meeting, he was disappointed that a date for freer movement had not been set. "I hope that arrangements for farm-to-farm movement, at least for the priority category which is breeding stock, could be agreed and implemented next week."
ICTSA president Mr Charlie Reilly expressed regret and "extreme frustration" about the delay in allowing movement. He said it was urgent that farmers resume the business of farming. "It is now two months since restrictions were put in place and controlled farm-to-farm sales are urgently needed if many members of the farming community are to survive."
Mr Reilly said there was not much point in keeping out foot-and-mouth disease if the preventive measures were so severe as to threaten the viability of farmers and the wellbeing of their stock.
Mr Parlon said it was now a priority to move breeding stock on to farms.