Early warning systems, including the checking of wild birds and poultry for signs of the potentially deadly bird flu, and an early notification of deaths in wild birds, have been put in place by the Department of Agriculture and Food.
The department revealed it had the system in place on the eve of a meeting in Brussels tomorrow. At the meeting strategies to prevent the arrival and spread of the potentially deadly avian flu H5NI by wild birds into Europe are due to be discussed.
The regular meeting of the EU's standing committee on the food chain and animal health will be attended by an official from the department tomorrow.
It said yesterday that for the time being it will not be following the example of the Dutch and Germans who have ordered that all free-range chickens be kept inside. This is because of the increasing fear that migratory birds from Russia could spread the disease, as it has already migrated from Asia into parts of Siberia - spread by bird life.
The Russian authorities have confirmed that they have found the most deadly strain of the disease H5NI in birds that had migrated north from Asia.
More than 50 people have died from the disease and 150 million birds have had to be slaughtered.
A department statement yesterday said the housing of free-range poultry was one of several precautionary measures that could be taken to prevent the spread of avian flu.
"At the moment we are not recommending housing of birds, as the risk of introduction of the H5N1 virus - which is presently in Asia - into Ireland by migrating wild birds is considered to be low at this time.
"Ireland has already put in place early warning systems, including carrying out surveillance for AI in poultry and wild birds, and early notification of deaths in wild birds."
The department is a member of the Influenza Pandemic Expert Group set up with the Department of Health and Children.
It is responsible for controlling avian influenza in birds and mammals should it break out here.
The health authorities here have already confirmed they have a stockpile of 200,000 units of vaccine ready for use should the disease arrive here and be transmitted to humans. So far the flu has not jumped across species, from infected birds to humans, in Russia.
Moreover, the World Health Organisation has said there is no evidence of increased transmission from birds to people or from person to person.
The Government is committed to the development of an effective badger vaccine and delivering of it to the badger population as a distinct component of the bovine TB eradication programme, it emerged yesterday.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture John Browne said infection from badgers was a primary constraint to the eradication of the disease in Irish cattle.