Davern defends response to foot and mouth amid strong criticism

The Government was accused of giving a "graduated response" to the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain which was "appallingly inadequate".

Amid persistent criticism from the Opposition about a "complacent" and "negligent" attitude to the spreading outbreaks, and a policy of "hope" that Britain would solve the problem, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was urged to chair a special interdepartmental task force, given the importance of agriculture to the economy.

Mr Alan Dukes, Fine Gael's agriculture spokesman, claimed the Government's response was "appallingly negligent, appallingly casual and utterly out of keeping with what's needed".

Labour's agriculture spokesman, Mr Willie Penrose, said the Government had adopted a "hit-and-miss" approach and insisted the Taoiseach set up and chair an interdepartmental task force to give a co-ordinated response in the same way that the British prime minister, Mr Tony Blair, had established a task force.

He said agriculture was three times more important to Ireland than the rest of the EU.

His colleague, Dr Mary Upton (Lab, Dublin South-Central), said the airport and other controls were really only a "cosmetic response" and the only effective response was a ban on the movement of people and animals.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Noel Davern, staunchly defended the Government's response during a special debate. He said Ireland responded before the EU and outlined the latest measures the Department had agreed, including a ban from midnight last night on the importation of horses and dogs from Britain, but not Northern Ireland, into the State.

A temporary ban had been placed on sales at livestock marts and controls on the importation of second-hand farm machinery.

Mr Davern also pointed to the Government's strong advice to the Irish Rugby Football Union to postpone Saturday's Ireland versus Wales match. Commending the IRFU's response to the negotiations, he said the IRFU had also been asked to cancel all associated rugby matches including the under-21 international match.

He said the Department of Agriculture was advising rugby supporters not to travel to Wales this weekend and he said it was a pity that travel agents did not give money back to people for cancelling their trips. The match was subsequently cancelled.

The Department had also asked that Irish race-goers not travel to the Cheltenham festival. The Irish Kennel Club is to cancel working farm dog classes in the St Patrick's Day dog show.

Mr Dukes highlighted a number of cases where there were no checks at airports for passengers, including one of a person who had gone hill-walking in Northumbria where an outbreak had occurred and had not been approached at the airports.

He said it was not enough to have car wheels at ports disinfected, that passengers should have their shoes and luggage disinfected as well.

Ms Deirdre Clune (FG, Cork South Central) said that by last Saturday, Cork airport had not got the message about foot-and-mouth disease.

Mr Davern said he had received complaints about Dublin and Cork airports and the situation had been enhanced. Airlines had always issued notices to passengers to contact the Department of Agriculture, but Mr Dukes persisted there were no signs at the airports to even identify the Department's office at the airport.

Mr Seymour Crawford (FG, Cavan-Monaghan) insisted district veterinary officers in Border areas were not informed by the Department about the controls in place, but Mr Davern said he would be very surprised if they were not but he would check it out.

He confirmed that since the first outbreak in Essex on February 20th, cases were confirmed at 15 other locations, including Anglesey near Holyhead, yesterday.

He told Mr Brian Hayes (FG, Dublin South West) that the Government was aware that sheep came from England and had been traced. The incubation period for sheep was 20 days but they were being slaughtered. Mr Dukes said that the only safe option was to "shoot first and ask questions later".

Mr Joe Higgins (Soc, Dublin West) quoted Britain's chief veterinary officer as saying that the most likely cause of the outbreak was pigs being fed infected swill which might have contained infected meat imported into Britain.

Mr Davern said the disease had come in from either Borneo, South Africa, Kazakhstan or Georgia. He had confidence, however, in what Irish farmers were feeding their animals.

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green, Dublin North) called on the Minister to accept as a fact that there were people who were not aware of the crisis, despite the media coverage.

Mr Andrew Boylan (FG, Cavan-Monaghan) said the disease was "spreading like wildfire" in Britain and three days had passed before the Government had taken action.

Mr Charles Flanagan (FG, Laois-Offaly) said there was no automatic disinfectant spray gulley in place at airports or ports as had been the practice for decades where vehicles had to pass over a gulley and a "mere manual operation" was in place.

Mr Davern said he did not know why a manual system was in place but he was confident that what was in place was adequate. "I am not the plumber at Dublin airport" he said, to which Mr Louis Belton (FG, Longford-Roscommon) said: "You're the assistant plumber."