An investigation is taking place into the possible theft of official Department of Agriculture seals for container lorries, it was learned last night.
It is understood that when a container load of meat en route to the Continent was checked last week it was discovered the seal had been broken somewhere in England and a substitute seal and documentation provided for the remainder of the journey.
Investigations are now under way to establish whether the meat which arrived in Dover was from Ireland or was British beef, which is still subject to EU controls arising from the BSE crisis.
The Department was alerted when Ministry of Agriculture and Food officials in Britain checked a lorry travelling through Dover carrying Irish meat. Ministry officials asked the Department to confirm if the numbers on a seal on the lorry corresponded with the numbers on official documentation at a Co Kildare meat plant.
When checked, the numbers did not to correspond to the numbers on the seal or the official documentation being carried by the lorry driver.
Confirming that an investigation was under way, a Department spokeswoman said that so far it appeared that nothing was missing from the Department's office at the plant.
She said the Department would continue its investigation and would work with the UK authorities to discover the source of the seals and paperwork.
As a result of their investigation, the UK authorities detained the lorry, and it is understood that some of its contents were impounded.
Lorries leaving Ireland carrying beef and other agricultural products are officially sealed and may not be opened until they reach their destination.
The investigation will centre on where the fresh seals were obtained and where they were put back on the lorry on its journey across Britain.