The Department of Agriculture has agreed to undertake a risk analysis of higher risk cargo coming into Ireland from Britain from bluetongue protection zones, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) said last night.
It said that following a meeting with department officials yesterday, the department had agreed to look at the potential danger from horses and plants coming in here.
The farm organisation has been seeking a ban on the imports of hay and straw from bluetongue infected areas and on the importation of farm machinery.
Following the meeting with the department, the deputy president of the Irish Farmers Association, Derek Deane, said the department had confirmed that hay and straw is banned from foot-and-mouth surveillance zones in Surrey.
"In addition, the department confirmed that they had rejected some farm machinery imports in the last week that they considered were higher risk," said a statement last night.
Mr Deane said the bluetongue threat to our important live export trade comes from the risk of an outbreak in Ireland.
He clarified that Irish live exports are free to transit through any bluetongue restriction zone under strict veterinary supervision and controls while crossing the continent to reach markets in Italy and Spain.