The Government banned the import of live animals, fresh meat and non-pasteurised milk from Britain last night following confirmation of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey, writes Seán Mac Connell, Agriculture Correspondent.
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan said in a statement last night that she had briefed the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on the developing situation which has seen the British government impose a total ban on the movement of all animals.
The stringent controls which were in place in the Republic during the last foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001 are likely to be imposed again if there are further outbreaks of the disease in Britain. The controls affected airports, ferry terminals and Border crossings.
The disease broke out here in 2001 when infected sheep were imported into the Republic from Northern Ireland. There was severe disruption to tourism and trade because of the restrictions.
Ms Coughlan said that her officials have already met to review the situation and she has agreed an appropriate set of measures to respond to this development.
The British government has imposed control measures, including a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone around the infected premises near Guildford in Surrey. An immediate "standstill" on the movement of susceptible animals (cattle, sheep, pigs and goats) throughout Britain is being put in place.
Ms Coughlan said: "The effect of this will include an immediate ban on the exportation from Britain of all such live animals. A ban is being put in place on the import to this country of all live animals, fresh meat and non-pasteurised milk from Britain."
She said that as a consequence of the standstill, live animals will be prevented from travelling to Britain from Ireland. This is likely to cause disruption to Ireland's live cattle trade with continental Europe.
Ms Coughlan confirmed that her Department had been in touch with a number of agencies on whose assistance it will rely in applying various control measures, including An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Civil Defence.
She also said that her Department was maintaining close contact with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in London and, particularly, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in Northern Ireland.
The Northern authorities announced late last night that it too has banned the import of live animals from Britain. The Northern Ireland Executive is to meet today.
Ms Coughlan said she and her officials would maintain close contact with their colleagues in Northern Ireland with a view to taking an all-island approach to the current threat.
As an immediate measure, ports and airports are being alerted to put in place the necessary precautionary measures, she said.