The DUP has criticised the Government for its handling of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, with one of the party's representatives implying that the Republic was hiding the disease.
The Rev William McCrea, (Mid-Ulster) yesterday asked the North's Minister of Agriculture, Ms Brid Rodgers, why the North had confirmed the disease while the Republic had not, despite the belief that a majority of an infected consignment was slaughtered in Co Roscommon.
"Why is it that we have therefore declared and the Irish Republic has not?", Mr McCrea asked. "It has major implications for the future of our industry."
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said he was "disgusted" at comments that not enough was done in Northern Ireland to contain the disease.
He called on Ms Rodgers to "robustly tell her friends in the South what she has told the house today: to say nothing was done is wrong".
Ms Rodgers yesterday defended the record of her Department in its handling of the outbreak. She acknowledged that it had been criticised in the wake of the outbreak.
"It is more difficult to take action where the presence of animals is not known or where misleading information has been given as to their whereabouts. In due course the full process of law will be taken against those responsible," she said.
Ms Rodgers said much of the criticism was politically motivated. "I resent the fact that some people choose to make mischief at a time when we should all be devoting all our efforts to dealing with this most serious disease situation."
She said her Department was currently drawing up guidelines for the public to outline high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk activities and gatherings.
The North's Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Sir Reg Empey, yesterday confirmed that the Northern Ireland Executive was formulating emergency contingency plans to handle any worsening of the outbreak. The Executive meets again today in emergency session.
"A threat remains in these islands, and nobody can lower their guard for some considerable time to come. This is going to be with us for a long time," Sir Reg said.
Mr David Dobbin of the Ulster Dairy Farmers organisation said over £2 million of produce, mainly dried milk, was building up in warehouses in the North each week.
Mr Eugene McGlone of the Northern Ireland Committee of the ICTU said he was hopeful that the outbreak had peaked, but the jobs of "a large range of people" were still at risk.
To date, one case has been confirmed in Meigh, Co Armagh. Twenty-one sheep belonging to an infected consignment from Carlisle, northern England, were found illegally on the farm. The remainder of the consignment is thought to have been smuggled into the Republic.
A total of 1,650 animals have been slaughtered as a precaution in the North in the last week. No further cases are currently suspected, but examinations by vets continued yesterday.