Referring to the possible fraudulent transfer of animals to a meat plant in Athleague, Co Roscommon, Mr John Dardis (PD), deputy Government leader in House, suggested an appeal should be made to "those with influence" in South Armagh to bring home the need to co-operate with the authorities.
It would be reasonable, in the continuing efforts to deal with the foot-and-mouth disease threat, to require everybody entering the State to fill out a standard form detailing where they had come from and where they were going.
Stressing that a £5 billion industry was at stake, he said: "I think one of the things that, perhaps, we could do most effectively here is to appeal to the people who have influence in South Armagh, to use their good offices - if I can put it in those terms - to ensure that in this particular instance, that everybody, irrespective of whether they are in the North or South, co-operates with the authorities."
Mr Maurice Manning, Fine Gael leader in the House, said there was a foot-and-mouth crisis and it seemed there might be a major scam which was facilitating the spread of the disease. A top-level inquiry should be held into the way in which things had happened and into whether people had been grossly irresponsible.
Mr Joe Costello (Lab) said the real danger was that there was likely to be quite a number of irresponsible people around. He agreed with the president of the Irish Farmers' Association that anybody who failed to report an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease should be treated harshly. The current maximum fine of £5,000 was ridiculous.
The Leader of the House, Mr Cassidy, said he understood the Minister for Agriculture would welcome the involvement of the opposition parties and spokespersons in relation to assisting the task force.