Farmers along the Louth-Armagh border have been highly critical of the controls which have been instituted in a restricted area just south of the Border. They want Garda checkpoints and disinfectant mats on all roads in the area.
"We can only look after our own farms now, so we expect the State to take care of anything which is happening outside our gates. We will be very lucky to avoid foot-and-mouth," said one local farmer.
They have also asked that the Army be brought in to prevent smuggling by operating fixed, rather than mobile, checkpoints on smaller roads.
While there was a full checkpoint near the location at which the first outbreak of the disease on this island is likely to be confirmed within days, they complained that there was little or no security on side roads.
No one who travelled south in the past 24 hours has complained about the strictness of the controls. At the designated crossings, all vehicles had to pass over disinfectant mats and drivers were being asked to clean their shoes.