The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has advised sheep breeding societies in the State of the danger posed by foot-and-mouth disease by inviting British sheep buyers to the Republic.
With the rate of the disease in Britain at nearly five a day, the risk of a visitor from an infected farm bringing the disease into the Republic was very real, said Mr Michael Sheahan of Veterinary Ireland.
Mr Sheahan said the breed societies, which organise specialist sheep sales, were reminded by the Department that foot-and-mouth regulations ban people from infected farms entering the Republic.
Mr Sheahan said the animal health committee of Veterinary Ireland, representing vets in the State, endorsed the Minister for Agriculture's message that continued outbreaks in Britain represented a real threat to this country.
It emerged yesterday that the Department of Agriculture has imposed strict guidelines on the importation of sheep from Northern Ireland.
Sheep from the North must have ear tags to identify the flock and must arrive at factories between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sheep must be slaughtered immediately after an ante-mortem examination on the same day. It specified four designated Border crossings - Lifford, Co Donegal, Swanlinbar, Co Cavan, Moybridge, Co Monaghan, and Drumad, Co Louth.