Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture Ms Bríd Rodgers has pledged to fight for the lifting of outstanding foot-and-mouth restrictions so the whole of the North can resume trading with Europe.
|
|
Ms Bríd Rodgers
|
Around 2,500 sheep are being culled in South Armagh to meet a European Commission requirement before the North is granted regionalised status next Tuesday.
All Northern Ireland farmers except those in the Newry and Mourne district - where the North's only foot-and-mouth outbreak occurred four weeks ago - will then be able to start exporting again.
But as two suspected cases in the Republic were declared negative, Ms Rodgers updated the Stormont Agriculture Committee on Northern Ireland's efforts to return to normal.
"Our next move, disease permitting, will be to have the controls on Newry and Mourne District Council area lifted so that the whole of Northern Ireland is removed from the relevant export controls," she said.
"We will be making that bid once 30 days have elapsed following the cleansing and disinfection at the Meigh outbreak, i.e. as soon as possible after next Thursday April 5th.
"But I have to record that that will not be an easy case to win."
Committee chairman the Rev Ian Paisley had earlier launched a stinging attack on the Minister and her department for delays in beginning the cull.
He also claimed they had been held to ransom by rogue farmers in South Armagh seeking promises they wouldn't face prosecution.
Claiming negotiations with farmers have delayed the slaughtering process by four days, he told her: "We are not fools at this table. We know what was discussed at these meetings. We know that an amnesty was asked for."
Ms Rodgers insisted his claims of a four day delay was inaccurate.
"The earliest it could possibly have started would have been Tuesday evening. It started on Thursday, so we are talking about two days."
"Dr Paisley has talked about amnesty. The most important thing is that I addressed legitimate concerns that were expressed to me."
PA