People returning from holidays in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria may have to have their clothing and footwear disinfected because of a serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in animals there.
The Department of Agriculture and Food confirmed the outbreak yesterday and warned travellers to these countries that it is illegal to bring back a range of items into Ireland. These include tins or any portions of meat, poultry products or cheese either on their person or in their baggage. Anyone attempting to bring in such items could be liable to legal penalties if convicted.
For the time being, he said, travellers to the three countries who may have been in contact with livestock, poultry or the meat industry are requested to report to the Department's offices at airports and sea ports around the State.
"Because of the seriousness of the outbreaks in North Africa, we are considering the necessity of disinfecting all travellers coming into the country from these locations," he said.
The spokesman said Ireland has a substantial trade in beef with Algeria and there is also trade in non-beef products with Morocco and Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, is in Cairo to visit the food fair and help further promote Irish farm produce there. Egypt was Ireland's most important non-EU market for beef last year, when it imported £200 million worth.
The Minister will be meeting the Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture, Dr Wally, and the Minister for Trade and Supply, Dr Goweili.
Mr Walsh will also visit Jordan this week in an attempt to get it to lift its ban on Irish beef. Also yesterday, the task force set up to examine the future of the beef processing industry decided to meet again in a fortnight to agree a report on the restructuring of the industry. The report had been expected in January but there have been delays and difficulties between the parties involved on where the industry is going.
A spokesman for Mr Tom Parlon, the Irish Farmers' Association president, said he had received an assurance that there will be no more levies on farmers. It is understood that the meat factories sought additional time to get written commitments from its members to set up a fund to help in the restructuring process.