Co Louth farmers and politicians have reacted angrily to comments by the Minister of Agriculture, who said people were being silent about livestock smuggling in the Cooley area.
Mr Walsh had said it was difficult to get hard information on illegal activities in the Cooley peninsula area adjoining the Border. The Department was "working with scraps" because "the people directly involved were extremely reticent."
"It's not true," said Mr Raymond O'Malley, the IFA chairman for Co Louth, yesterday. "People in the area are giving 100 per cent co-operation with Department vets."
"I am very surprised at the Minister's remarks," Mr O'Malley added. He said Mr Walsh had acknowledged the amount of good information provided by locals at a meeting on Monday with Cooley farmers.
Fine Gael councillor Mr Jim D'Arcy said the remarks could imply "people collude in a code of silence on the issue". They had created "a misrepresentation of the reality. People here are devastated. They are victims. They are being hurt."
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has said there is "absolutely no cause for concern" in Cavan over fears that a group of Travellers who recently arrived in the town from the North could unwittingly bring foot-and-mouth.
A Garda investigation is continuing into a suspected cattle-smuggling operation in south Tipperary after 13 untagged cattle were seized at the weekend. The cattle were found abandoned at Rossadrehid, near the Glen of Aherlow, on Sunday.