Controls could go on for months Ahern

Foot-and-mouth precautions could continue for several months, the Taoiseach said yesterday.

"For the next number of weeks, maybe even months, depending on what happens in the UK, we have to continue the policy of containment," he said.

Mr Ahern was speaking during a tour of Louth, when he visited the Department of Agriculture's National Disease Centre in Dundalk and met farming and tourism representatives.

"I suppose people will believe that when there are not too many cases that you can relax, but you can't. Our colleagues in the UK today have 800 cases. There is still not an indication that it is easing up," he said.

Yesterday was the eighth day since the Proleek outbreak, and getting over the next 22 days would be the initial step, he said. "And I can tell you, judging on how long the last 24 hours were, that's a long time."

He said everyone was very pleased and relieved at the preliminary clear test results from animals in Louth and Wexford. But this was part of "a long battle", and the two farms would not be in the clear until the blood and serum tests came through. Mr Ahern also criticised the activities of smugglers and said it horrified him that a small number of people were risking an industry of 20 million animals for what seemed to be "relatively small money". "And I think there is no measure that we must stop short of to try and cut that out for the future."

He had no doubt the British authorities were doing their best to contain the problem, but they were under immense pressure. He paid tribute to the Department staff, "putting in 16 hours on an easy day and 24 hours on a difficult day" and praised the public for its co-operation.

The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, said a voluntary cull of sheep in the Cooley peninsula would be best and he "strongly urged" farmers to take part.

The Irish Farmers' Association has already met the main lending institutions. The IFA president, Mr Tom Parlon, said the banks had agreed to advise farmers to keep money received for culled animals for restocking later, rather than using it to pay back loans or overdrafts.

The IFA has opened a fund for farmers in financial difficulty. The North Louth Farm Family Support Fund account (no: 211 33312) is in the Bank of Ireland, Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk.