Three people were detained and questioned yesterday under new legislation aimed at stopping smuggling and illegal dealing in livestock. And it has emerged that traders are holding animals illegally and dumping them rather than face prosecution.
The first of the arrests was in Templemore, Co Tipperary, on Wednesday when a man was taken into custody and brought to Mullingar, Co Westmeath, under the new Act which carries penalties of up to £100,000 in fines and confiscation of farms, factories and vehicles on conviction.
The man, who was being questioned about possible illegal movements of animals, was detained overnight with his vehicle but was released early yesterday. A file is being prepared for the DPP.
Another man, with an address in Dundalk, Co Louth, was also detained under the new legislation, and a third was questioned in Mullingar Garda station in relation to another operation relating to illegal movement of animals.
The Tipperary arrest came as it emerged that another batch of unidentified animals were found in a Coillte forestry plantation near Mullinahone. Twelve of the 13 animals, whose ear tags had been removed, were dead and the other had to be put down.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Mr Noel Davern, said the animals were "of dubious origin" and he condemned the behaviour of whoever had moved them to the wood at Pollagh when there was so much danger from foot-and-mouth.
Mr Davern said he was angered by the Mullinahone discovery, which predated the recent finding of 13 unidentifiable cattle roaming in the Glen of Aherlow in Co Tipperary 10 days ago.
These had also had their identification tags removed to avoid tracing which could lead to a prosecution. They were later slaughtered.
Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that a mandatory cull of all the animals on the Cooley peninsula was ordered when epidemiologists discovered antibodies in the blood of sheep on an out-farm adjoining the Rice farm at Proleek, Jenkinstown, where the State's first confirmed case of the disease was discovered.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed that a sheep in a flock belonging to Mr John Finnegan of Upper Jenkinstown was also found to have an antibody to the disease and the flock, of rare Kerry Hill breed, was slaughtered.
It said anti-bodies, which indicate the animal has had contact with foot-and-mouth, were also found in blood samples taken from two wild goats which had been killed in a field beside Proleek.
The fact that wildlife had been in contact with the disease and that anti-bodies had been found in sheep with no known contact with the Rice farm sealed the fate of the rest of the animals on the peninsula.
The Department, which will do a final search of the area today for any stray animals, said it had killed 48,000 sheep, 792 cattle, 230 goats, 62 deer and 404 pigs in the cull to prevent the disease spreading.
The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon, last night repeated his call for the full rigours of the law to be used against rogue traders or anyone who would put the national herd at risk.
Today the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, will have discussions on the foot-and-mouth situation with his Northern counterpart, Mrs Brid Rodgers, when they meet in Dublin.
They are expected to give a joint press conference this afternoon on moves being taken by them to prevent the spread of the disease from the controlled areas and from Britain.
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